Chicago’s AI-Generated Mural Controversy: Why Prompts Matter

When Chicago discovered that one of its most prominent Kennedy Expressway murals wasn’t painted by an artist at all—but generated by AI—it sparked more than disappointment. As reported by Block Club Chicago, what many thought was a celebration of Black family, culture, and city identity instead felt “soulless,” generic, and disconnected.

What unfolded wasn’t just a critique of aesthetics. It was a conversation about ownership, storytelling, and the limits of technology when it lacks human grounding.

The moment poses bigger questions: Who gets to tell our stories? And how do we ensure AI supports—not replaces—authentic community expression?

Murals as Living Community Stories

For decades, Chicago’s murals have been more than public art. They are visual archives translating neighborhood history, resilience, and pride into color and texture. They are created with the people they represent, not simply about them.

That’s why this mural struck such a nerve. When art intended to honor the community is produced without community input, the result risks becoming decoration rather than storytelling.

This controversy isn’t about whether AI can make images. It’s about whether those images carry lived truth.

Why Prompts Matter More Than We Realize

At the center of AI-generated art lies the prompt, the instructions shaping what the model creates. A prompt is more than a description; it is direction, context, emotion, and intent.

A shallow prompt produces a shallow image. Something like:

“Generate a mural of a Black family in an urban setting.”

On the surface, this sounds fine. In practice, it dilutes culture into generalities, creating images without nuance, specificity, or local resonance. The backlash wasn’t only because the mural was AI-made, but also because the prompt lacked a real story.

The Anatomy of a Strong Prompt

Before we look at how this mural could have been improved, it’s worth stepping back to review what makes for strong AI prompting. A well-crafted prompt typically includes:

• Persona: Who is the AI “acting” as? A historian, an artist, a designer?

• Tone: Should the output be formal, emotional, playful, gritty, or inspiring?

• Format: What structure should the response take a sketch, a three-panel narrative, a community framework?

• Style: Which artistic traditions, textures, or mediums should be referenced?

• Specificity: Above all, prompts must be highly specific. The more details you provide about the story, setting, and desired impact, the more meaningful the result.

  
  

When prompts are generic, the art often feels generic too. When they are grounded in detail and intention, the output becomes far richer and more resonant.

How Better Prompts Could Have Raised the Bar

While AI can’t replace lived experience, prompting can influence whether an image feels closer to a community’s truth or further away from it.

Here are some prompts that could have elevated the output:

1. Grounding in Place and Culture

“Create a large-scale mural depicting a Black student’s journey in Chicago, weaving in local landmarks such as the ‘L,’ the Chicago flag, and neighborhood flora. Style should reflect expressive realism with textured brush strokes, emphasizing warmth, growth, and resilience.”

2. Emphasizing Narrative over Decoration

“Generate a mural concept with three narrative panels: childhood, aspiration, and community. Use bold colors, layered textures, and styles that reference Chicago’s muralist traditions rather than digital gloss.”

3. Leaving Room for Human Collaboration

“Design a mural framework that allows residents to paint in certain sections themselves. Provide outlines and composition, but leave areas blank for community contributions.”

These aren’t perfect solutions, but they illustrate a truth: AI art mirrors the quality of human input. Here’s an example of what a more intentional, narrative-rich mural concept could look like when guided by stronger prompting:

Why This Matters

These improved prompts would not have “solved” the problem; AI cannot fully replicate human storytelling or the lived experience behind art. But they highlight a key point: AI art reflects the quality of human input. The result often feels hollow when prompts lack specificity, cultural grounding, and openness to human collaboration.

The mural controversy underscores a larger lesson for anyone working with AI: it’s not just about what AI can generate, but how we guide it, and whether we leave space for authentic human voices.

Our Take at AI OWL

At AI OWL, we believe AI should amplify human creativity—not replace it. AI works best as a collaborator:

• A starting point,

• A brainstorming partner,

• A tool for iteration and inspiration.

  
  

But the soul of art? That still belongs to the people who live the experiences, shape the culture, and carry the stories.

The Chicago mural controversy shows that prompting isn’t just a technical skill—it’s a cultural responsibility. If we want AI to contribute meaningfully to public spaces, we must ask better questions, craft better prompts, and always leave room for the communities who deserve to be seen and heard.

AI is here. Art is here. But the humanity behind both must never be an afterthought.