Reform MS creates AI ‘slop’ image of Aberfan Disaster

Emily Price 

An AI-obsessed Reform MS has marked the 60th anniversary of the Aberfan Disaster by generating a “disrespectful” fake image of the tragedy that killed over 100 school children.

Afan Ogwr Rhondda MS Steve Bayliss published the post to Facebook on Wednesday (October 21) saying the disaster “should not have happened”.

He added a heart emoji to the post saying: “A disaster we will never forget.”

The catastrophic tragedy which occurred on this day in 1966, saw a massive colliery spoil tip collapse down a mountain slope above the small village of Aberfan in Merthyr Tydfil.

The colossal wave of coal waste slurry completely destroyed Pantglas Junior School, killing 116 children and 28 adults.

In his Facebook post, Bayliss included an image depicting black material cascading from a row of large houses onto a building with modern square windows below.

The real Pantglas Junior School was a a typical Victorian-era building constructed out of dark stone and red brick.

The hillside in the image posted by Bayliss featured a row of terraced houses perched directly along the crest of the mountain.

However, the houses do not appear to match the actual geography of where Merthyr Vale colliery’s waste tips would have been above the village.

The image also showed hundreds of men wearing white hard hats picking through the rubble, alongside a bunch of flowers bearing a card that read: “Forever in our hearts”.

Real images taken on the day of the disaster 60 years ago show that many of those who arrived at the scene of the accident did not have the appropriate safety gear.

Parents and neighbours living near the school frantically clawed their way through the heavy black slurry with their bare hands in a desperate bid to reach the children buried inside.

Nation.Cymru asked Steve Bayliss if he thought it was unethical to create a fake image of a disaster that took the lives of Welsh children.

The Reform MS did not respond.

Aberfan resident Thomas Dafydd said: “The AI-slop image produced by a Reform UK politician is wholly inappropriate and deeply disrespectful.

“There are enough images of this horrific disaster depicting what really happened on that awful day, without generating fake versions.

“No serious politician who genuinely cares about the people of Aberfan would lazily use AI to create an image of a disaster that caused such immense suffering for an entire community.”

Since winning a seat in the Senedd in May, Bayliss has relied heavily on AI to generate his output on social media.

Some of his more bizarre posts feature uncanny valley-style images of himself and other politicians.

The day after he was announced as a Reform Senedd election candidate, Bayliss changed his Facebook profile picture to a deepfake-style image of himself sitting in the House of Commons in Westminster.

In June, the Reform MS was forced to delete an AI-generated social media post about a key by-election because it contained incorrect information telling voters they would need ID in order to cast their ballots.

In September, Bayliss was mocked by Wales’ First Minister when Nation.Cymru reported how he had churned out an AI image promising a “greener Wales”.

It came after the Reform MS claimed that man-made climate change was a false threat to justify “green projects”.

Nation.Cymru has previously asked Bayliss why he uses so much AI-generated imagery, pressing him on why he couldn’t use real photos, but he did not respond.

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