Oaklands AI City Hall Image Sparks Spot the Difference Contest

A Picture Worth a Thousand Questions

In anticipation of Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee's first State of the City address, her office distributed a press release to reporters. The announcement, detailing her accomplishments and the challenges ahead, was topped with a striking image of Oakland City Hall. However, this wasn't just any photo—it was a picture clearly generated by artificial intelligence.

Oakland City Hall looks similar when you ask artificial intelligence to generate it, but it's hardly flawless. Credit: City of Oakland (left); Amir Aziz/The Oaklandside (right)

For journalists who have spent countless hours in and around the landmark Beaux-Arts building, the image immediately raised red flags. Key architectural elements were missing, while other details appeared to be entirely fabricated. This digital depiction of the seat of Oakland's government was close, but not quite right.

Join the Spot the Difference Challenge

Instead of simply listing the errors, The Oaklandside is inviting its readers to join a challenge. If you're passionate about Oakland's history and architecture, you're encouraged to compare the AI-generated image with a real photograph and identify the differences. You can even visit City Hall in person during Tuesday's 3:30 p.m. speech to get a closer look.

You could win this water bottle. Credit: Esther Kaplan/The Oaklandside

To participate, you can fill out the contest form by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 8. The person who correctly identifies the most discrepancies will win an Oaklandside water bottle.

Oakland's Stance on Artificial Intelligence

Justin Phillips, a spokesperson for the mayor’s office, acknowledged the unusual nature of the image, stating its use was “definitely an outlier.” He clarified, “We don’t normally rely on AI for content or graphics, particularly in media advisories. Moving forward, we’re going to stick with regular images.”

The incident highlights a broader challenge facing governments worldwide as they navigate the use of widely available AI tools. While these technologies promise efficiency, they also raise serious questions about accuracy, transparency, and privacy.

Oakland has been proactively addressing these concerns. According to Deputy City Administrator Joe DeVries, the city has been developing plans for AI use for over a year, with a formal release expected soon. Interim guidelines for city staff have been in place since last December, prohibiting the use of city data in AI tools and requiring a citation for any use of AI in public information—a step that was missed in today's press release.