Art-rageousAI-generated artwork hung in UK museum goes unnoticed, sparks debate on authenticity and creativity

16 November,2025 08:56 AM IST |  Los Angeles  |  Agencies

An AI-generated artwork titled “Empty Plate” was secretly displayed at the National Museum Cardiff, fooling visitors before being spotted, reigniting debates on AI, art authenticity, and museum oversight

AI Art was hung at National Museum Cardiff. Pics/iStcok


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AI has been encroaching on people's lives left and right, and in a new move, an art world troll put up an AI-generated art piece in a UK Museum, which went unnoticed by many before they began alerting the museum staff. It was reported that the digital art print was showcased at the National Museum Cardiff in Wales by faceless artist Elias Marrow.

The artwork was a historical-style oil painting of a young boy in a school uniform, sitting down with a book under his arm and an empty plate on his lap. The artist had apparently sketched it out before feeding it in AI and making prints of it.

(Left) It was called "Empty Plate". Pic/NYPOSt; (right) Museum interior. Pic/Amgueddfa

To make matters real, Marrow hung an information plaque beside the artwork and mentioned the artist's name, along with the medium of art. The art piece was titled "Empty Plate". The funniest part of it all? The plaque read "Digital print on paper, custom-made frame. Limited edition, signed. On loan from the Artist, 2025."

Visitors continued to pass the art until a few sharp-eyed ones noticed what was wrong with it, and alerted the museum authorities. A tourist from Ireland was also taken aback by the poor quality of the AI artwork, but many others waited and took pictures, seeming quite amused at the fiasco. Marrow added that AI was here to stay, so the artwork was simply a "natural evolution of artistic tools."

Thank the great artists that it was not eyed by the robbers, or the heist would've been a huge artistic disappointment.

2025
Year in which the painting was made using AI

This guide is not guiding

A grumpy German museum guide insults visitors, and they love it!

Carl Brandi makes the museum visitors feel dumb. PIC/NYPOST

In Germany's Düsseldorf's Kunstpalast art museum, a performance artist named Carl Brandi conducts a "Grumpy Guide" tour twice a month, where he belittles and insults his guests - and they don't seem to mind it at all.

During the tours, Brandi's alter ego Joseph Langelinck takes over, and insults the guests for being on their phones, taking a seat, or mocking their ignorance while going through the museum.

He does not admonish the museum guests over their appearance or their personality, but mocks them as a group. He adds that he loves to make them feel as ignorant as possible.

What a kicker trip!

PIC/NYPOST

Paul Lee, a content creator, took to social media to express how his flight was a bad experience due to a baby beside him that constantly kept kicking him in the arm, which led to multiple reactions over how parents need to mind their babies and how gentle parenting may not be the best option at times. One could say that his trip really kicked off.

Jungle story gone wrong

REPRESENTATIONAL PIC/TEMU

A mom ordered a jungle-themed banner for her son's birthday from Temu. On receiving it she noticed that the animals on the poster looked as if they were stuffed animals, or worse, humans wearing animal costumes. The text was also not accurate, and she took to TikTok to express her surprise at the creepy banner. The jungle story really took an ugly turn there.

AI said "i do"

PIC/NYPOST

Japanese woman named Kano, 32, tied the knot with an AI-generated persona named Klaus, and had ceremonies orchestrated by a Japanese company that specialises in "2D character weddings" with virtual characters.

Anything to avoid the doctor!

PIC/ISTOCK

An 85-year-old French man began his journey to the doctor's office. However, he never arrived to his appointment. Turns out he landed up in Croatia because of a GPS problem, which meant he'd been driving for 20 hours.

Jacked, but hacked?

PIC/ISTOCK

A Chinese man, who was unable to develop his abs, resorted to hundreds of hyaluronic acid shots to build himself a fake eight-pack. He spent around 4 million yuan (R4 crore) in the process. He also claimed that he was not a coward because he went through many injections to gain the body that he sports now.

Promise it's a robot

PIC/ODDITYCENTRAL

A robot so smooth, audiences thought it was human. Chinese robotics company then cut open its limbs to prove that there was no human inside.

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