Have you heard of the AI bot Craiyon? The artificial intelligence project has been busy sketching more than 50,000 images per day. We joined in on the fun and asked the bot to draw five of Boston’s most iconic landmarks — here’s how it did.
Note: This application shares nine versions of each photo, so we selected our favorite for each example.
Zakim Bridge
Our grade: B+ for bridge.
Not bad, not bad at all. We’re loving the reflection in the Charles River and the contrast of the bridge’s lights with the dark night sky. Plus, the absence of traffic on the bridge makes viewing this image much less stressful than actually driving on the Zakim.
Make Way for Ducklings
Our grade: D for duckling.
While ducklings are certainly featured here, this isn’t quite what we meant. We’ll have to stick to a walk in the Public Garden to see the bronze ducklings based on Robert McCloskey’s children’s book.
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Our grade: A for art.
Grainy though it might be, we’d say this is an accurate depiction of Boston’s most aesthetically pleasing courtyard. This classic shot immediately makes us feel calm + serene, just like an in-person trip to the Fenway landmark.
Citgo Sign
Our grade: C- for Citgo, that you?
We’re not too sure what the green square at the top is meant to be, and every Bostonian knows to look out for a big red triangle right in the center of our beloved Citgo sign.
The Prudential Center
Our grade: B for basic.
This one is definitely accurate, but nothing special. Not that we expected this rendition to include the vibrant new mural or a message for the Celtics, but we were hoping for a bit more pizazz at the Back Bay shopping center.