AI labels/flyers & Local Restaurants/Craft Beer
I understand local small businesses having to cut costs... but to expect people to support your business because you are local/community focused/insert stereotypical pitch here when you are contributing to the local drought sucking up water to shove AI slop down our throat while expecting us to spend more on your craft product or local options over somewhere else feels like a slap in the face. I've seen so many artists offer to do the work for free to very cheap and they still opt for AI which makes incompetent and untalented people feel accomplished and it enrages me.
If I see an AI label on a local craft beer's 4 or 6-pack I am absolutely not buying it. If I see an AI flyer for a local event at Durham Central Park for example (which there have been several) I won't go to it on that fact alone.
I want to support local businesses but also want to PUBLICLY SHAME these places who I feel like are complete hypocrites.
I also on the opposite note want to shout out local places that are paying artists for art and putting cool stuff out in the world. (Steel String Brewery, DSSOLVR Brewing) or even just keeping it classic and simple (Ponysaurus, Eno River Brewing). Thank you and I will continue to be a patron and support local for those.
So feel free. Shout a local business out for supporting local. Or call them out for choosing their laziness & ego over their community.