UP Visayas’ art unit draws flak over alleged AI-generated posters

Are schools now trading creativity for convenience? 

The back-to-school season seems to have revealed a growing number of institutions opting to use AI. From enrollment announcements to submission schedules and even school-themed frames, AI-generated content is becoming increasingly visible across academic spaces.

Now, the prestigious University of the Philippines has joined the “trend.”

On June 10, the UP Visayas College of Arts and Sciences posted an announcement that appears to be AI-generated, earning criticisms from the public, mostly from college students pursuing art-related fields.

“University of the Philippines tapos College of Arts? Pero using AI?” a Facebook user commented on the post.

An architecture student from the University of the Philippines Diliman also said “Nakakabigo lang makita ang pinaka-prominent na state university sa Pilipinas na gumagamit ng AI imbis na mag-tap ng talent para gumawa ng pubmat.”

In line with this, during enrollment periods across various schools, many institutions are now posting announcements, schedules of submission, and even school-themed frames that are generated using AI.

Aside from UP, the University of Santo Tomas has also faced criticisms for using AI in their posters, saying that they should have tapped the College of Fine Arts and Design. In response, Philippe Hernandez of the UST Communications Bureau defended the use of AI in contemporary communication work, explaining that AI tools are used within a broader human-led process of conceptualization, review, and approval.

However, this is not just about the use of AI itself. Many institutions already have access to resources such as student artists and graphic designers, yet some still choose AI-generated outputs instead of locally produced creative work.

Ed Daniel Bagasol Jr. shared on social media that “Personal use is one thing, but organizations and institutions have the resources to hire designers and create original work.”

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