LONDON - People in London were left baffled by what appeared to be a botched AI-generated Christmas mural showing a Santa-like figure with a half-orange beard and revellers with disfigured faces.
The display in posh Kingston upon Thames in southwest London at first glance seems to depict a jolly crowd enjoying the festive season.
But closer inspection reveals a disturbing array of figures, including people with warped faces, a snowman with strange facial features, and dogs with the heads of birds all bizarrely splashing through water.
A Father Christmas figure is pictured looking pained in the water at the foot of a rock. His eyes are shut, and his beard is half orange and half white.
The large-scale mural looms above several popular riverside restaurants in the upmarket town.
People who had seen it -- and others keen to have their say -- took to social media for a lively discussion.
Kingston Upon Thames Council said in a statement it had had "no involvement in the planning or funding of the display".
"The landowner has now confirmed to us that they will be removing the installation," it added.