Ohio State Fair organizers are planning to prohibit use of artificial intelligence for a poster contest after facing backlash for awarding the 2026 grand champion to an entry that used AI.
Alicia Shoults, the fair’s deputy director of operations and experience, said in an email that artists have been allowed to use AI “if explained as part of the application process” since the poster contest started in 2024.
“We recognize that the use of AI has changed greatly over the last few years in ways we didn’t anticipate and will be reevaluating the rules and processes for 2027, which will include prohibiting the use of AI,” Shoults said.
The winner was awarded $1,000 for the contest, which had 39 entries. The artist did not immediately respond to a request
for comment.
A fair media spokesperson said the winning entry was one of seven people who disclosed the use of AI as part of the application process.
“It was used to help get the elements arranged the way I envisioned them in my head and to capture a vintage feel that I could not replicate by hand,” the winner wrote in the application, which the spokesperson shared upon request.
Victoria Douglas, a local art educator who judged the 2026 youth fine art entrants, wrote on Instagram that she “unequivocally condemns” the decision.
“As an art educator, I understand how important it is to foster the upcoming generation of artists. What message are we sending when we reward work with no humanity whatsoever?” Douglas wrote.
They added that state fair organizers should change the rules moving forward and asked people not to harass the contest winner.
“The rules stated AI was acceptable if disclosed,” Douglas said. “They played by the rules, the rules are what need to change.”
The poster contest is governed by separate rules and a different department than the fine arts competition, which limits AI to “only a supporting element within an artist’s creative workflow” and requires disclosure.
“Artwork created primarily or entirely through A.I. generation, or entries that fail to accurately disclose or represent the use of A.I. or other media, may be disqualified,” the fine arts rules state.
State fairs around the country, from Colorado to Iowa, have changed art competition rules in recent years amid the growing prevalence of generative AI.
Anna Lynn Winfrey covers regional/suburban trending news for The Columbus Dispatch. She can be reached at awinfrey@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State Fair plans to change rules after AI poster wins contest
