RECENTLY an AI-generated billboard by the Brickfields police department (PDRM) has gone viral—not for its message, but for its glaring error.
The billboard, displayed in Desa Sri Hartamas, features an unusual depiction of the iconic KLCC towers, showing three towers instead of the usual two.
The third tower, linked by a bridge to the others, sparked confusion and criticism from Malaysians.
One netizen called Adib Mazlee took to Facebook to express his disappointment, stating, “The Merdeka month is the time to show our patriotic spirit. There should be effort put in because this month commemorates independence, it is a historic month.”
He continued, “If even your poster is made using AI, there are 3 KLCC towers, are you really so lazy to just take a picture from Google as long as it’s an original photo? There’s also Shutterstock, Freepik and even Pexels, with many nice pictures that are free to use. This is an official poster by a PDRM branch, you’re an official uniformed agency.”
In response to the backlash, Ibu Pejabat Daerah (IPD) Brickfields has instructed the media agency responsible for the billboard to remove it immediately.
IPD Brickfields wrote on Facebook: “The Merdeka Day greeting that went viral on social media was displayed on a digital billboard in Desa Sri Hartamas. IPD Brickfields has advised the owner of the advertising company to take down the advertisement immediately.”
The media agency involved, WOW MEDIA, has issued an apology, acknowledging the mistake.
WOW MEDIA stated: “We would like to address the issue with the ‘National Day Greetings by the Brickfields District Police Headquarters’ visual displayed on a screen in Hartamas. We have identified the error in the visual displayed on the screen and have immediately deleted the visual.”
“We apologise for any confusion that this may have caused.”
The agency also promised to review its procedures to prevent future errors.
Netizens expressed their disappointment in the comment section.
“Agreed, it’s disgusting to see AI images being used so extensively for commercial purposes... completely tasteless, all because it’s easy to use for free... ugh,“ one netizen commented.
Another person wrote: “This is an unforgivable mistake. Didn’t they even check before proceeding?”
