A Willy Wonka-themed event in Scotland that guests “enjoying a chocolate fantasy” turned out to be a sparsely decorated warehouse with nightmarish characters and limited supplies that didn't even include chocolate. The AI-generated images used in the event's marketing materials are partly to blame for the disappointment.
While many visitors were fooled by the colorful manipulated images, experts have shared what people can keep in mind when it comes to future AI-marketed events.
How visitors thought of 'Willy's Chocolate Experience'
Guests who paid up to £35 ($44) for a ticket to the immersive attraction in Glasgow told several media outlets it was “badly done” and “frightening.” Some parents were so angry that Did you call the police. Social media posts about Willy's Chocolate Experience have generated million views During last week.
Police called to 'immersive' Willy Wonka experience after families show up to 'empty warehouse'
The event reportedly charged $40 for admission, advertised itself with artificial intelligence art, and said it would be a “journey filled with wonderful creations and delightful surprises at every… pic.twitter.com/udz8KeWVxQ
– Craving for culture (@CultureCrave) February 27, 2024
Actor Paul Connell, hired to play Willy Wonka, he told the independent that he was given a script with 15 pages of “AI-generated gibberish” and asked to “improvise” when no props were available. Kirsty Paterson, who played Oompa Loompa, he told the vulture that the children who attended were “pretty upset,” but she tried to make the best of the situation.
The viral images showed a character called “The Unknown”, who does not appear in any Wonka-related film or any book written by Roald Dahl, dressed all in black and wearing a chrome mask as they walked. hidden behind a mirror. When they appeared, the children backed away in fear.
House of the Illuminati is responsible for the Wonka event and other experiences that appear to be advertised with AI-generated art. TO Rolling Stone Investigation discovered that its director, Billy Coull, has published more than 15 books with AI-generated text. Coull said he regretted that his “vision for an artistic interpretation of a well-known book did not come true” in an appearance on STV News.
“We apologize for what happened and will provide full refunds to each and every person who purchased tickets,” the company said in a statement on its Facebook page. according to the New York Times. The page has since been deleted.
The Oompa Loompa from the Wonka Land knockoff experience appears to be running a literal meth lab and is seriously questioning life choices up to this point. If you wrote this, I'd say it was too direct. pic.twitter.com/WwkGO8Hjck
– Disappointed Optimist (@disappoptimism) February 27, 2024
How to avoid falling for an AI marketing scam
Willy's Chocolate Experience closed on Feb. 25, but as fallout from the event continues, experts say consumers should be skeptical of the ads they see online. Karim AdibA digital marketing expert in England, told Yahoo News that the recent event reminded him of Fyre Festival, a 2017 music event in the Bahamas that was advertised as a luxury paradise but turned out to be disastrous.
“[Fyre Festival images] “They were not generated by AI, but the false information still misled many consumers,” he explained. “Look for reviews, independent social media posts not from the event organizers, and news coverage from credible sources before paying to attend.”
Pavel Goldman-Kalaydin, Berlin-based director of artificial intelligence and machine learning at a deepfake detection company sumsubprovided tips on how to spot AI-generated images like those used on the Willy's Chocolate Experience website.
“Look for inconsistencies in facial features, blurring or distortions in background or objects, incorrect direction of lighting and shadows, etc.,” he said. “You can also check the image metadata to see if it has been manipulated or altered in the software.”
“The devil is in the details when it comes to falsified images,” he added.
