Former Apprentice contestant challenges the rise of AI with a daring display on the ‘world’s largest AI-generated billboard’
In a world increasingly shaped by the advancements in artificial intelligence, Lewis Ellis, a man known for his unconventional endeavour’s has taken an audacious step to explore the boundaries of human creativity versus AI capabilities.
He is famous for his previous exploits, including auctioning off his own skin for tattoo choices.
Lewis decided to harness the power of ChatGPT to recreate an image for a unique billboard experiment, and the results are nothing short of hilarious.
The mammoth billboard, prominently displayed at the Victoria Warehouse in Lewis’ hometown of Manchester, features the entrepreneur in a comical yet revealing role—transformed into a mermaid, stark naked.
For the main image, Lewis used the iconic Burt Reynolds Cosmo centerfold and entrusted ChatGPT with the task of generating the accompanying content.
In a candid YouTube video, Lewis explains,
“Whatever it creates, that goes live. I’m not sure if it’s a good idea, I’m not sure if it’s going to be a complete waste of time, but I guess we’ll find out.”
Measuring an impressive 17.6 meters by 17.4 meters, it’s believed to be the second-largest billboard in Europe.
However, Lewis confidently claims it to be the “world’s largest AI-generated billboard.”
In a quirky twist, Lewis humorously photoshopped his own face and tattoos onto the nude Burt Reynolds in the image.
The billboard debuted at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, June 21, and the reaction was undeniably intriguing.
Reflecting on the AI-driven venture, Lewis admitted,
“I was silly to assume that AI would pull it together for me – I won’t really have to do much. Turns out it’s way harder than I thought. And it looks so bad.”
The AI-generated billboard merged the images of Lewis and Burt Reynolds into the peculiar sea creature while incorporating a whimsical backdrop featuring a cartoon lighthouse and beach.
The sign accompanying the eccentric display reads:
“Feast your eyes on this tragic masterpiece. The world’s largest AI-generated billboard. AI is going to take over the world. That may be true… but it won’t be today.”
This avant-garde billboard is a playful reimagining of Lewis’s company, Hussel Marketing’s previous marketing campaign.
Lewis drew inspiration from industry giants like McDonald’s, Burger King, and Subway, which have employed ChatGPT for their recent ad campaigns.
Adding an extra layer of complexity to the challenge, Lewis imposed a tight deadline, giving himself just 24 hours to complete the experiment.
His unconventional approach to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible continues to captivate and entertain.
In the past, Lewis made headlines for his tenacity, such as spending £2,300 on flights, accommodation, and food to retrieve a pair of stolen AirPods, earning him the label of being “mental” by his own mother.
Reflecting on that adventure, he said,
“The fact you can track tiny headphones around the world is unbelievable. I didn’t expect to get them back, and I joked that flying to Doha was the prettiest thing I’d ever done. But it’s great that we managed to find them – and now I don’t need to buy a new pair!”
As for what the marketing maverick has up his sleeve next, it remains a mystery, but one thing is clear—AI bots won’t be taking over his job anytime soon.