Scammers and spammers have embraced AI, using it to create fake documents and scam crafters and makers on platforms like Etsy. These AI-generated patterns, plans, and recipes may look legitimate, but they can cause frustration and financial loss for unsuspecting buyers.
Crafting patterns, like those for knitting and crochet, are essentially code that instructs crafters on how to create physical objects. AI-generated patterns may look correct at first glance, but they often contain errors that can result in wasted time, effort, and materials for crafters.
The potential harm of AI-generated patterns goes beyond just a few wasted bucks. Crafters invest time and money into their projects, and a flawed pattern can lead to disappointment, frustration, and the need to start over from scratch. This issue highlights the challenges that AI technology brings to traditional activities and the importance of vetting AI-generated content before using it.