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There are many ways to honour those who have ed, but there are appropriate ways to do it and less than tasteful ways as well.
Some pay their respects quietly, and some feel the need to express it to others. But where is the line drawn from it being genuine mourning, to what could appear as clout-chasing?
In the wake of a recent fatal road accident involving a bus transporting Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students, which resulted in the deaths of 15 young scholars of the institution, a trend associated to the tragedy has surfaced on social media.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to generate images of the victims who died under the guise of “honouring” and “ing” them.
While the sentiment seems like a digital new-age way of setting up a candle-light vigil or offering prayers for the deceased, many on social media thought the action was “cringe-worthy” and downright inappropriate.
If you’ve seen movies or television shows where a student from a school dies, a shrine of flowers, personal items, and photos would be put up at their locker in school or even at the location where they were found dead. This is usually more acceptable as imagery of the deceased used are typically photos taken by friends and family.
However, using AI-generated images to depict the dead comes off as impersonal and inaccurate, as AI might not even produce an exact likeness of the victim or victims.
Apart from that, it can be considered highly insensitive towards family and friends of the victims who are still in mourning.
The public had various reactions to AI-generated images of UPSI bus crash victims 1u2t6m
Looking into the comments section, some said that the public should show for the victims’ families by offering prayers rather than posting AI-generated images like that.
“Commemorating shouldn’t turn into showing off. As Muslims, even if we don’t know them personally, it’s better to offer more prayers for those who have ed. Technology is no excuse. It’s not about whether we care or not. This is about families who have lost someone. Respect them,” said one man.
Some also opined that the depiction could be misinterpreted by certain parties, especially those who are not following the developments of the incident.
“There’s no need to generate AI images for this incident. Just pray for those who have died. AI depictions like this could easily be misunderstood. What prompt was used? ‘Spirits of a flipped bus heading towards the light at the end of the road’? Is that really the intended meaning?” asked a teacher.
A few netizens believed the AI images were created simply to chase engagement on social media by exploiting a tragic event.
However, according to the woman who ed one of the AI-generated images, the post was meant to offer prayers for the deceased.
“From a positive perspective, many are offering prayers. This isn’t the time to question everything. As long as real images aren’t used just to gain likes. This post is meant for praying. Chill, okay?” she said.
Bus driver to be remanded after discharge from hospital 3g6ok
In regards to the case, 39-year-old Mohd Amirul apologised to the victims’ families and claimed the fatal crash occurred when his bus brakes suddenly failed near the elephant crossing bridge in Gerik.
A remand order for the bus driver involved in the horrific accident will be carried out after the man is discharged from the hospital.
Perak Police Chief, Datuk Noor Hisam Nordin, stated that the 42-year-old driver is currently receiving treatment at Taiping Hospital, according to a Harian Metro report.
READ MORE: [Watch] Dashcam Footage Emerges Of Fatal Bus Crash That Killed 15 UPSI Students
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