Shreveport Regional Arts Council (SRAC) hosted an AI Forum on Jan. 8 following community backlash over alleged AI-generated images used by the organization in late 2025. The meeting did little to ease concerns among many local artists, leaving attendees frustrated by a lack of clarity and accountability.

“We just want an answer to one question and we’re not getting that,” one attendee said during the forum.

That frustration grew when the facilitator responded, “Tonight wasn’t designed to give you any answers,” prompting many to question the purpose of the meeting itself.

Throughout the discussion, attendees repeatedly asked what steps SRAC is taking or plans to take to address concerns surrounding AI in the arts. No specific actions or timelines were provided. While the facilitator stated she would relay all feedback to SRAC, she emphasized multiple times that her role was solely to mediate the conversation.

Community members also raised concerns about SRAC’s broader response to the controversy, citing silenced employees, blocked individuals on social media, and what they perceive as a refusal to fully engage with the artists the organization claims to support.

How SRAC will respond to the criticism and whether meaningful changes will follow remains unclear.

The Shreveport Regional Arts Council (SRAC) has issued a response following community concerns about the recent use of AI generated images in promotional materials for upcoming arts events. This included AI generated graphics for their cookie competition and Brunch with Santa.

In a public statement, SRAC acknowledged the significant changes the organization has navigated throughout the year while continuing to support and promote major cultural programming. The council noted that “while working to promote numerous events, including the Levitt Amp Music Series bringing free concerts to Shreveport in 2026, national acclaim for Artbreak student winners, programming at Caddo Common Park, and A Joyceful Holiday featuring the Glitter Kittens at artspace, some recent social media posts slipped past our promotional screening process.” The council added, “Thank you for bringing this to our attention!”

Local artists have expressed outrage over images for nearly a week, with SRAC not responding to any comments we could find and others sharing they’d been blocked on social media by the organization after sharing. SRAC again shared additional AI generated images even after the negative comments began pouring in about the use of AI generated images by the council, leading many to question if their was a screening process at all. If there was, how did additional images go out after the initial issues were raised? The organization even seemed to allude to the situation and “play off” of it in a recent social post where they shared images of “real” cookies from the competition.

As a publicly funded arts organization, many local artists believe that comes with a heightened responsibility to be a better steward of taxpayer dollars and supporter for the local creative workforce. The use of AI in place of artist produced work raises broader concerns about maintaining trust, preserving artistic integrity, and ensuring that public funds continue to uplift human creativity rather than replace it. Community members have expressed that decisions around emerging technologies carry real implications for local artists whose livelihoods depend on commissioned work.

SRAC emphasized its commitment to transparency and shared values with the local arts community. The organization stated, “We agree that a deeper conversation about the use of Ai needs to happen. We hope you will join us for a future conversation after the holidays.” The statement was signed by Sandi, Henry, Rebecca, the SRAC Board and Staff.

We will update the public once the Shreveport Regional Arts Council has shared a date and time for the AI discussion. In the meantime, SRAC should refrain from using AI generated images, create or be more transparent about their AI policies, and explain why local artists or images from previous events weren’t used.