Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller shared a social media image over the weekend protesting AI data centers encroaching on our communities and draining precious resources from our farmland.
The only problem? He was protesting AI with an AI-generated image.
Look, we get it, Sid. It’s hard to be a cowboy in the Wild West of the digital frontier. But if you’re going to speak out against AI data centers, it might send the wrong message to use an AI-generated image.
The photo depicted a field in which a farmer allegedly used his mowing gear to write, “It’s not worth giving up an inch of this for a data center.”
Suspiciously, however, the font the farmer chose contained serifs — not usually go-to for crop messages due to the unnecessary intricacy. A Texas flag and an outline of the state carved into the field apparently were meant to drive home the notion that the image was from the Lone Star State.
Then there was the accompanying story, which also seemed suspiciously like it was AI-generated.
“BREAKING: A Texas farmer has allegedly carved a massive message into his crops so everyone flying overhead can see it,” the Ag Commissioner’s caption said. “The message is said to have appeared this week across a huge stretch of Texas farmland and is already getting attention across rural communities as data centers continue trying to move into parts of the state.”
Where in Texas is this farm, you might ask? Sid seems fuzzy on the details. Namely, because it isn’t real.
Since Sid shared the post Friday, Facebook added a Community Note pointing out its inauthenticity.
“Ironically, this image used to denounce AI data centers is AI generated itself,” the note explained.
The silver lining is that this is further proof opposition to data centers has become bipartisan in Texas. Even the AK Guy says he opposes them.
In a world of such polarization, you know what? We’ll take it.
But it’s also bare minimum political calculus, given that 70% of Americans oppose the construction of AI data centers in their communities, according to a recent Gallup poll.
Between Sid and Gov. Greg Abbott falling for AI images, is it too much to ask that our elected officials know how to discern between reality and slop? Can we please pass legislation requiring them to take a social media course before they can hold public office?
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