A McDonald's in Blackburn town centre has installed a giant AI-generated mural that claims to show local landmarks, but several buildings are actually from Liverpool. The mural, on display at the branch on King William Street, is meant to feature recognisable Blackburn sites including its cathedral, town hall and Ewood Park football ground.
However, the AI picture has incorrectly depicted a number of the buildings. An image labelled "Blackburn Cathedral" resembles Liverpool's Metropolitan Cathedral, while what is presented as Blackburn Town Hall looks more like the lower frontage of Liverpool Town Hall.
Errors in the artwork
A depiction of King George's Hall also appears similar to London's Albert Hall, and other locations such as the town's Corporation Park Greenhouse do not match the real structures. The mural also misspells "Champions" as "Crampions".
Some elements are accurate, including the Queen Victoria statue and an image of a barge on the Leeds and Liverpool canal. The mural also includes a lyric from The Beatles' song A Day in the Life: "I read the news today, oh boy. 4,000 holes in Blackburn, Lancashire." The line is believed to have been inspired by a 1967 Daily Mail article read by John Lennon, which reported a council survey finding 4,000 potholes in the town's roads.
McDonald's response
McDonald's said it was aware of the errors and was looking to replace the image. Staff told the Lancashire Telegraph that the mural was done in good faith and that a new image was already in production.
