By Master Blaster
Sometimes you have to ask yourself, 鈥淎m I acting like a demon?鈥
AI remains a divisive technology, especially on social media, and any company that attempts to use it in its promotions risks considerable blowback. A Shinto shrine, however, wouldn鈥檛 seem as susceptible to that. It鈥檇 be like telling off your grandma for posting an AI image on Facebook.
And yet, last March Kurumazaki Shrine in Kyoto City caused a bit of an uproar online when they changed their Twitter profile pic to an illustration of a miko shrine maiden created by an illustrator who uses generative AI. Perhaps Kurumazaki Shrine is held to a somewhat higher standard since it鈥檚 a rather high-profile place of worship that is dedicated to the performing arts and has been visited by more than a few celebrities over the years.
鈻 A news report on the initial outrage
As shown in the news report from a few months ago, the shrine received messages of 鈥淐urse, curse, curse, curse, etc.鈥 and 鈥淚鈥檒l beat you to death,鈥 the latter of which certainly crossed the line of legality. An investigation was launched, leading to the arrest of an unemployed 38-year-old man living in nearby Shiga Prefecture on 3 July.
This same suspect was also accused of sending dozens of emails to the shrine between 23 and 27 March, including one which read, 鈥淵our shitty shrine will burn down in a fire of unknown origin someday,鈥 and the aforementioned one about beating them to death, accompanied by images of flames which I have to assume were not AI generated.
The man admitted to the charges against him and explained to police that he was angry about the shrine鈥檚 stance of supporting a generative AI artist. That artist goes by the name of Graham-san and posted the following after hearing about the arrest:
I鈥檓 really relieved that the person making the threats was arrested. I hope they get the punishment they deserve. Their motive was awful, and I heard someone at Kurumazaki Shrine had to be hospitalized because of all this.
In this case, I think the people who incited all this outrage against the shrine are just as responsible too, even if it is just on social media. Why did the shrine have to get so much criticism just for changing their profile pic to an illustration made by an AI? Was there really any need for that?
I鈥檝e been through a lot of stress myself over this incident. I鈥檝e been called a criminal, a thief, and the one to blame for all this. But now, I think it鈥檚 clear who is really to blame.
I鈥檓 very grateful to the police for taking firm action against this excessive behavior.
Again, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but if you put your thoughts into words that attack others, then it鈥檚 only natural that you鈥檒l be held responsible. Please consider the consequences before casually attacking others.
鑴呰揩鐘亴閫崟銇曘倢銇︺佹湰褰撱伀涓瀹夊績銇с仚銆傜姱浜恒伀銇併仢銈屻仾銈娿伄鍑︾桨銇屼笅銇曘倢銈嬨亾銇ㄣ倰鏈涖伩銇俱仚銆傚嫊姗熴亴銇傘伨銈娿伀銈傞叿銇勩仹銇欍仐銆佽粖鎶樼绀俱仌銈撱仹銇叆闄€仐銇熶汉銈傘亜銇熴仺鑱炪亜銇︺亜銇俱仚銆傘仢銇椼仸浠婂洖銇簨浠躲仹銆丼NS涓娿仹銇ㄣ伅銇勩亪銆佽粖鎶樼绀俱仌銈撱倰鐐庝笂銇曘仜銇熶汉閬斻倐绉併亱銈夈仚銈屻伆鍚岀姜銇犮仺鎬濄仯銇︺亜銇俱仚銆傗 pic.twitter.com/k3UCCNVkl1鈥 銈般儵銉忋儬銇曘倱@AI琛撳斧 (@Graham__san) July 3, 2025
Comments online tended to agree, regardless of their stance on AI, that there鈥檚 no reason to threaten people鈥檚 lives over it.
鈥淚鈥檓 getting the feeling that around 38 years old is when Internet literacy is at its worst.鈥
鈥淚 knew it would come to this someday with all the fighting online, so I鈥檓 glad he was caught.鈥
鈥淭o get that angry about AI art鈥︹
鈥淚f he were an artist, I could maybe understand, but he doesn鈥檛 even have a job.鈥
鈥淚 kind of think this guy doesn鈥檛 even care about AI. He just has some other issues.鈥
鈥淚 see a lot of people against AI illustrations online, so I think this will happen again.鈥
We can probably all agree that AI-generated art likely isn鈥檛 going away, unless everyone eventually gets bored of using it, like we did with selfie sticks. And at the same time, it certainly doesn鈥檛 look like opposition to AI-generated art will go away either, unless everyone eventually gets bored of being offended by it, like we did with selfie sticks.
Until one of these two sides ultimately wins out over the other, hopefully everyone can avoid making death threats and keep their emotions regarding shrine maidens with amorphous fingers in check.
Source: Kyoto Shimbun, Twitter/@Graham_san, Hachima Kiko
Featured image: 漏SoraNews24
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