We’re not quite at doomsday cult status like with ‘climate change’ and fourth wave Feminism, but, it’s moving that way. Right now we’re just at derangement. You know, they see something and go “this is bad because of AI! Arrrrgle barrrrgle”
AI is Ruining Haunted Attractions
In 2005, I launched two major projects. The first was Plagiarism Today, the site you’re reading this on right now. The second was Bernie Baxter’s?Traveling?Sideshow, a home haunted attraction I run with my partner, Crystal. Both projects are still going on to this day.
In many ways, the two projects are polar opposites to one another. Plagiarism Today is a digital?first project that grew to become my full?time job. Bernie Baxter is an almost purely meatspace project that is completely an avocation.
But that’s what I love about haunting. It’s a creative outlet that built with lumber, paint, and actors. Despite all the walkthrough videos on the internet, there really is no way to experience a haunted house digitally. It’s an analog experience that truly does not have a digital equivalent. Haunts are a safe place to unplug and simply live in a truly unique moment.
So, imagine my disappointment when I walked up to my first haunted attraction of the year and was immediately greeted by low?quality AI art. One of the images was so bad that it even included the Gemini diamond in the lower?right corner of the page.
How horrible! It’s almost like a betrayal!
It shouldn’t really come as a surprise. In an age of AI menus and AI event flyers, why wouldn’t haunts use AI to generate their work? Why would haunted attractions be immune to the same pressures and temptations that other businesses face?
But somehow the betrayal feels even worse.
Told ya!
But it’s not just the promotional materials. AI art has also seeped into the actual haunted houses themselves. AtmosFX, one of the largest providers of digital projections to the haunt industry, has admitted to using AI to create some of their characters. Haunts, like the one I went to, have also used AI to generate props and other items that are part of the attraction itself.
Terrible! The worst! Seriously, you don’t blame the AI, you blame the people who are creating this stuff on the cheap and easy, and deciding that the crap is fine.
Anyhow, here are some of my favorite movies for haunted houses, the type that are built for Halloween season
- Hell House LLC (watch the original cut, not the directors. Also, the 2 follow ups are great)
- The Houses October Built 1 and 2
- Haunt
- Hell Fest
- Scarehouse (more of a slasher)
- House Of Fears
There’s a lot fewer that are good than you’d think.
