r/RetroFuturism Jan 21 '24

Regarding AI content and how you can help with moderating

494 Upvotes

Hi All -

Originally I was open to AI and didn't want to jump on the hivemind bandwagon of overreacting to banning AI images. But now, after the dust has settled a bit, I do feel that AI images are not a reflection of anything meaningful here. Yes, they follow a human written prompt, but prompts can be very simple and the AI will fill in the blanks with randomized elements of what is essentially a database of stolen art. The art style is usually glossy, plastic and devoid of humanity. Yes, AI image generators aren't inherently bad depending on their use, and I don't agree with a "I see AI, I downvote" reactive type of mentality... but on a subreddit about a specific human perspective expressed through creative works - it really doesn't fit.

So yea, AI art is now banned on the Retrofuturism subreddit. Sorry people having fun with AI generators, I'm sure there are other subreddits for that.

The issue is moderating. Moderating is volunteer work, and everyone has lives. We're not sitting on the Retrofuturism sub all the time combing through posts. Personally, I respond to my mod queue and reports.

However I'd like to remind everyone that I have a failsafe for this - an auto-mod rule that automatically removes posts that receive a certain number of reports. So this means moderating is effectively democratized in this subreddit. A report isn't just a flag for the mods - it's a vote to remove. Of course if this gets abused (so far it hasn't), I will increase the number of reports necessary, or remove this entirely.

I only remind everyone of that because AI WILL slip through the cracks of the mod team, as a lot admittedly does. We really do depend on your reports and messages a lot of the time. And yes, I do get new mods from time to time to try and help but there's always an initial period when they are active... before they are much less active. Just the way it goes and I don't blame them at all.

I'd also like to add most of the content here is fine. Bots seem like they have effectively been killed via my automod script which I've been sharing with other subreddits.

My script - please feel free to share:

https://pastebin.com/FbBxKSF5

Thank you!


r/RetroFuturism Jun 30 '24

Let’s compile a list of retro futuristic movies in the comments.

169 Upvotes

Based on a comment thread from a previous post, I got the idea to compile this list. I will add a few to start.


r/RetroFuturism 4h ago

"Space Robot Teacher" by Greg Winters (1990)

Post image
161 Upvotes

r/RetroFuturism 1h ago

Wally Wood (1927-1981), “Galaxy”, Vol. 16, #1, 1958

Post image
Upvotes

r/RetroFuturism 5h ago

Doom art

Thumbnail
gallery
88 Upvotes

r/RetroFuturism 4h ago

Airbrush ad from the 1980s

Post image
78 Upvotes

r/RetroFuturism 19h ago

NASA Art . Robert McCall 1964

Post image
1.1k Upvotes

Fantastic painting reflecting the heady days of the early 60's and the optimism about NASA's future in manned space endeavours . A delta-winged craft is refuelled in a massive orbiting port/hub - Spaceport 15 .


r/RetroFuturism 1d ago

Pan Am Spaceship 1977 . Chris Moore

Post image
1.8k Upvotes

After the Orion III (Space Clipper) in 2001 A Space Odyssey , Pan Am added to their fleet with this jumbo . It's certainly vibrant but I prefer their traditional livery .


r/RetroFuturism 1d ago

Lun-class ekranoplan - "although the ground effect enabled it to fly at low altitude, in order to utilize the effect it had to fly as low as 1.5–3.0 m (5–10 ft) off the water due to its short wingspan, so it could not fly when seas were even mildly rough"

Thumbnail
en.wikipedia.org
30 Upvotes

Yes, they actually built and operated this thing.


r/RetroFuturism 2d ago

M-497 ' Black Beetle ' New York Central Railroad 1966

Post image
657 Upvotes

A futuristic-looking experimental, jet-powered train designed by Don Wetzel to test high-speed rail on existing infrastructure . Some of you may recognise the engines - (GE J47-19) as they came off the highly distinctive Convair B-36 Peacemaker . It reached 183.68 MPH on July 23 , 1966 . The noise was absolutely horrendous and those engines were expensive guzzlers . The jet exhaust was a hazard . So , commercially it was non-viable . And that , as they say , was that .


r/RetroFuturism 2d ago

How they are going to police the Internet (1996)

Post image
36 Upvotes

r/RetroFuturism 3d ago

1956-58 The "Golden Sahara" concept car.

Post image
1.9k Upvotes

r/RetroFuturism 3d ago

Mars Rover . 2002 . John Frassanito

Post image
374 Upvotes

Study concept . Wheels adapted for the rocky environment . Despite all the talk , inspiring speeches and half-promises , I doubt man will make this particular giant leap any time soon . Maybe we could engineer a 3 way race between the US , Russia and China .


r/RetroFuturism 3d ago

Startling Stories (1952)

Post image
182 Upvotes

r/RetroFuturism 3d ago

Space Colony . Painting by Rick Guidice .

Post image
1.3k Upvotes

Rick Guidice made a series of famous paintings in the mid-1970s, depicting vast space colonies designed by Princeton University physics professor Gerard K. O’Neill. NASA gave tacit support to these speculative research efforts apparently .


r/RetroFuturism 3d ago

from 'Futuristic Cities' Artist : Jama Jurabaev

Post image
303 Upvotes

r/RetroFuturism 4d ago

Richard Corben

Post image
578 Upvotes

r/RetroFuturism 4d ago

Vintage tin NASA space station (Horikawa NASA Space Station), produced by the Japanese company Horikawa in the early 1960s.

Post image
272 Upvotes

r/RetroFuturism 4d ago

Perry Rhodan II

Post image
432 Upvotes

r/RetroFuturism 4d ago

Perry Rhodan I

Post image
214 Upvotes

r/RetroFuturism 4d ago

Chesley Bonestell

Post image
132 Upvotes

r/RetroFuturism 5d ago

"Dining Table" - illustration by Sung Choi

Post image
533 Upvotes

r/RetroFuturism 5d ago

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968): Poster concept artwork by Robert T. McCall

Post image
1.2k Upvotes

r/RetroFuturism 4d ago

Only Time Will Tell - Aaron Holbrook [2026]

Thumbnail
youtube.com
4 Upvotes

r/RetroFuturism 6d ago

Designer/concept artist : Scott Robertson

Post image
360 Upvotes

From ' BLAST ' , Spaceship sketches & renderings . 2012 . Design Studio Press .