AI tattoo designs raise unrealistic hopes for customers

Tattoo artists are increasingly hearing from customers with designs made using artificial intelligence, but many are not practical to tattoo, DR reports.

Søren Granhof Schjøtt, owner of Lowkey Tattoo in Svendborg, says up to half of the enquiries his studio receives include a tattoo proposal generated in some way by AI. Customers may ask the tool to place a design on their arm or leg, or combine ideas and have it create a design.

But AI often gets details and proportions wrong, Granhof Schjøtt says. It may produce an image that looks convincing while squeezing too many small elements into too little space. Most AI-generated tattoo proposals need to be changed before they can be tattooed, according to the article.

Thit Hansgaard, owner of Sort Kat Tattoo in Odense, also says customers bring in unrealistic AI-generated designs. The images can give people false expectations about what is possible as a tattoo, she says.

Peter Dalsgaard, a professor of human-computer interaction at Aarhus University, says it is not surprising that people are using AI to develop tattoo ideas. But while the tools may make users feel more creative, he says, the results can become more alike overall.