Businessman debunks AI art claims after backlash over Scottish mural

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The business owner commissioning a debated mural in Glasgow has stated that artificial intelligence won’t be used to create the final piece, after an initial design shared online received criticism.

In December, a request was made to Glasgow City Council to paint a mural on a building at 11 Elmbank Street in the city center. The council approved the plan on January 11th, calling it a visually pleasing improvement over a previously unattractive wall.

So, this design leaked online, and honestly, people immediately started saying it looked like it was made by AI. I can kinda see why! It had all these random things in it – Highland cows, a steam train, a worker with a flat cap, and get this… an American bald eagle! Which is super weird because those aren’t found in Scotland at all. It just felt…off, you know?

Glasgow City Council recently gave the go-ahead for a large mural created using artificial intelligence to be painted in the city center. However, the artwork, which features Scottish themes, surprisingly includes a bald eagle. When some people expressed their concerns, the council planner dismissed them as online critics and told them to relax.

— Laura Webster (@LauraEWebsterr) January 20, 2026

The proposed artwork received a lot of criticism online, particularly on Reddit. People commented that certain details looked unnatural, like a train that seemed to be floating and the strange addition of an eagle. Some even guessed the eagle was a mistake made by the AI program that created the image, possibly intended to be a different kind of bird like a sea eagle.

Backlash over AI claims and design details

Derek Paterson, who suggested the mural idea, explained to BBC Scotland News that the image was just a preliminary sketch and wouldn’t be the final artwork.

Paterson explained that he told the artist he had complete creative freedom, and Paterson would only suggest the overall subject matter.

I want to tell a story that honors Glasgow’s history of industry while also looking forward to its future in those fields.

He emphasized that AI won’t be involved in creating the mural. The initial drawing was just a rough sketch to share the basic concept, and the artist has full creative freedom to develop it, as long as it stays within the council’s rules.

Honestly, after that picture went around, I got a ton of hate online – it was pretty rough. And it’s not like the artist they hired was some newbie, either. They’ve already painted a bunch of murals all over town, so they’re a well-respected local talent.

The new design draws inspiration from iconic Scottish symbols like Highland cows and stags, and even features a building reminiscent of the Wallace Monument. According to planning documents, the goal is to honor Scotland’s history with energy – both its past and its future focus on clean, renewable sources.

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2026-01-21 22:21