Everything is on its arse and we're going to hell in a handcart, Hot Wheels edition
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@dajb https://www.linkedin.com/posts/keith-payas-a78a7125_the-irony-that-this-is-an-ai-generated-slop-activity-7517847872680144896-OkUU
> The irony that this is an AI generated slop post made with zero effort to spread misinformation. If you check out the reddit link in the comments, you'll see that Hot Wheels have retained roughly the same level of detail.
not sure if this is the same reddit post but they do have a nice comparison of actual hot wheels over the years
https://www.reddit.com/r/hatethissmug/comments/1xe8u6r/i_hate_this_viral_enshittification_post_thats/
> The irony that this is an AI generated slop post made with zero effort to spread misinformation. If you check out the reddit link in the comments, you'll see that Hot Wheels have retained roughly the same level of detail.
not sure if this is the same reddit post but they do have a nice comparison of actual hot wheels over the years
https://www.reddit.com/r/hatethissmug/comments/1xe8u6r/i_hate_this_viral_enshittification_post_thats/
@dajb the "worst" part is that in the actual photo the detailing turns out to actually get *better*...
@ophis The link you point to says:
"This picture started as a real photo someone took of real cars but AI was used to make them all the same color (yellow) and remove the background image. - It is AI edited, but the cars/undercarriages are accurate."
@dajb @ophis the undercarriages also look altered
And if the following photo is the original it is quite obvious they have been altered: https://social.coop/@dajb/117514380405784404
"The amount of details for each car is roughly the same in the AI generated image as in the original photo" seems to be true, but that's not the same as them being "accurate to the photo"
It just really hurts the whole point the creator is trying to make. It looks fake. How would anybody know it is based on truth?
Kinder Surprises used to have wooden and metal toys inside. Now they are all plastic and paper instead. Real downgrade.
@dajb as much as this is a bummer, as a Dad I really respect the bang-for-the buck of Hot Wheels. A 5-pack is like $6 and while I just checked some lying around the house and couldn't find a 2026, they're usually much better made than the other cars we somehow accumulate. And older Hot Wheels are very easy to find.
@hunterking My daughter was *obsessed* by Hot Wheels cars between the ages of about 7 and 10. She had ~120 of them, knew all of their details and had given them all names!
@dajb modern version must be electric.
@dajb Does that lack of detail even save any money in production? I mean that is an injection mold anyway. Maybe the bit of money for the design is already too much for a mass manufactured toy like that?
@dajb I don't know where I read it (and I'm unable to confirm/deny it), but: This was made to keep the price the same over the years. There are more expencive Hot Wheels cars, which still have the detailed bottom. But the cheaper ones do not have them anymore to keep the price low.
@dajb On the other hand, Hasbro gets to save $0.001 per unit in manufacturing costs. Won't somebody think of the shareholders?!?!? /s
@dajb THEY HAVE TAKEN EVERYTHING FROM US! FIRST OUR PRIVACY, NOW THEY'VE TAKEN OUR HOT WHEELS! DOES THEIR EVILNESS KNOW NO BOUNDS? WHEN WILL THEY AD PERSONALIZED ADS TO THE BOTTOM OF THE HOT WHEELS?
NEVER I SAY! BREAK FREE OF THE SHACKLES! AND ACCEPT MY PRETTIER SET OVER HERE WITH ME UNDER PRIVACY AND FREEDOM FOR ALL!
@dajb the 2026 one went electric
@dajb I read somewhere that this image was AI... Don't remember we're tho
@Alejandro_P @dajb pretty sure whoever said that was right
If you zoom in it looks strange in a typical genAI way and it's also asymmetric in a way humans rarely design stuff
@Larymir @Alejandro_P @dajb Oh yup, this is definitely slop, now that you mention it. -.- It's a lot more obvious once I compare it to real photos.
FYI @_thegeoff
@varx @Larymir @Alejandro_P @_thegeoff
You lot have slop on the brain
@Alejandro_P amazing insight, thanks for sharing
@dajb That's the reason why I let the skidmarks build up, so the FLOCK AI Bros can't ream me more easily.
@dajb Variations on a theme. On the left the cash register I played with, on the right the modern one. Spot the subtle difference (apart from the different color scheme)...
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@dajb Every cent counts.
@dajb well, never mind: it's probably an EV and this is how they look from underneath! ;-)
@dajb Bottom is EV aero edition :P
@dajb @Viss where is the charging port.