The Cyberpunk future is cool-looking. It is a dystopian future but mostly it looks cool and neon, phone-wallpaper-ready, and every half-human half-robot entity there has an immaculate taste for interior design.
The Cyberpunk future is theoretically here and how dare anyone assume that our dystopia would at least have the merit of looking cool. Our dystopia has no mechs, but it does have An App You Need To Run Your Dishwasher and Landlords. The almost infinite allowance for individuality in the former has been swapped for the opposite - a curse of inescapable sameness.
AI is trained on existing data, be it written language or images or sounds. It is by definition derivative and wouldn't exist if not for human artists to copy. NFTs plagued the internet for a while in 2021. Efficiency via cutting out the human from the workflow. I have yet to find an argument for NFTs that I couldn't rebuke with "Screenshot". The usage of a base and a (I think?) algorithmic selection of overlayed features almost creates an in-game (in-NFT?) economy that preys on humankind's obsession with CS2 skins, gacha games and Kino. And it almost always results in some ugly ass monkey.
"Alegria" is an art style that has come to be heavily associated with corporations trying to look friendly and non-threatening by filling their Terms And Conditions with rounded, smiling, primary-colored people hugging each other or skateboarding or making pottery or something.
I am not alone in noticing the almost caricature level overcompensation that such artists exhibit to their cast of characters.
A more conspiracy minded individual might think that this could be a perfect bait for the masses to argue over inclusive sex worker websites. However, Alegria did, for a little while worked as intended, or at least it wasn't that common to see it called out for its uncanny attempt at deceptiveness.
The Cyberpunk dystopia has a curse and it is individuality. Everything in the world is positioned just right to minimize your chances for genuine self expression. Panopticon reference. You correctly match and align your traits to an archetype, not necessarily forced, but at least influenced to do so.
How dare mankind think that we could be privy to a future with IRL character customization and clear symbolism where the good guys look so much cooler than the bad guys. Instead we get an infinitely more boring future, with athleisure, AI Love Island Fruits and vapes that connect to the internet.
