I’ll say it: I hate AI.
I don’t want ChatGPT to write the blandest product descriptions the world has ever known. I can write.
I don’t want Gemini to “summarize this email.” I can read.
I especially don’t want the deluge of AI-generated crochet images that have flooded platforms like Etsy and Facebook.
Yup, I’m a hater.
I even tried writing a pattern with ChatGPT a couple of years ago, and it lost all novelty pretty quickly. I had to freehand a lot of the AI-generated pattern because it didn’t make any sense.
There are plenty of amazing uses for AI technology in the medical field and beyond. But I absolutely hate generative AI being shoved down our throats as a way to be more “efficient” and to “save time.” Editing (rewriting) an AI blog post takes just as much time as writing one from scratch. I can write a simple email in literally 30 seconds. Every AI tool I’ve used to transcribe and summarize Zoom meetings is rife with error. None of these use cases save time, and they have a huge detrimental effect on our environment. The cost-benefit principle isn’t principle-ing.
So, generative AI in a creative field like crochet? Nah. AI is the soulless spin-off of creativity. Whenever I see something that is obviously AI-generated, be it text or image, I immediately clock it as a cheap attempt to make a quick buck off unsuspecting consumers.
Like, what is the point of this image?
Someone on Etsy is selling this “pattern” for $6.70. Now, it might very well be a legitimate pattern. However, there are no reviews, customer photos, or real listing photos accompanying this pattern. Doesn’t seem promising.
AI crochet images like these prey on beginner crocheters and people who may not know how to clock an AI image. People end up spending a few bucks on a pattern, only to find out they’ve been duped into buying a pattern that is less-than-stellar or completely different from the “photo” that was advertised.
Here’s a side-by-side image comparison of the AI image advertised for a pattern and the actual, real-life product when a crocheter followed that pattern:
Not gonna lie; I’m actually kind of obsessed with how sad the final product is. He’s kind of cute? These photos were posted on r/CraftedByAI, my latest subreddit obsession. I’m not the only hater of AI crochet patterns, thank the crochet gods.
On top of completely generating crochet patterns and images with AI tools, there appears to be another cottage industry involving writing real patterns based on fake images.
I came across this Upwork job listing today. Any crocheter or knitter knows that being paid $35 to write a pattern is pretty rude. Trying to write a pattern based on an unhinged AI image that defies the laws of physics? That’s even more difficult than simply starting a new pattern from scratch.
So, now I know that people are creating AI-generated crochet patterns and images AND severely underpaying people to write crochet patterns that are most likely not tested. Cool.
So…What Now?
What are the ramifications of all this AI slop infiltrating crochet and other creative spaces?
In my opinion, it’s both annoying and sad. I view these AI product listings and low-quality products as cheap ways to try and scam people out of their money.
Some posts on r/CraftedByAI are made by new crocheters looking for advice and feedback about possible AI-generated patterns that they are interested in buying. If you’re new to the craft, it can be hard to tell if an image of a pattern is real or not. There are many details, such as stitch increases, that an experienced crocheter knows how to look for to tell if an image is AI. People end up spending their hard-earned money on trash, which can be infuriating and discouraging.
The deluge of AI slop is also sad to me because it goes against everything I love about crochet, knitting, and crafting as a whole. In my opinion, the tactile, slow process of craftmaking is what makes it so appealing. Creating something with your own two hands gives us time and space to slow down, de-stress, and THINK. We spend so much time mindlessly scrolling on our phones, reading emails, or watching videos on social media that our brains don’t get a break to be bored, creative, or independently silly.
AI bros have us believing that this new technology (that they’ve dumped obscene amounts of money into) is here to streamline everything, “save” us time, and increase efficiency. Well, the “inefficiency” of craft is what it’s all about. I crochet and make by hand to connect with myself and generations of makers before me who have passed down their skills and knowledge to younger people. Give me a crochet pattern written and pattern-tested by fellow crafters who love to make, create, and share their love of handmade with others. Even better, let me freehand a crochet sweater, mess up, and learn from my mistakes.
Craft is where creativity flourishes. The presence of AI is trying to erase that. Frankly, I don’t want it.
