Commissioner takes exception to AI-generated image amid…

A social media post featuring an AI-generated image of Monongalia County Commission President Tom Bloom ignited a heated debate during a county commission meeting on August 14, 2024. The incident centered on a digital image, reposted by Kirsten Nelson, which depicted Bloom in a military uniform against a backdrop of Flock-style surveillance cameras.

What happened

The controversy began when Commissioner Jeff Arnett addressed the image during a meeting otherwise focused on public opposition to the county’s contract with Flock Safety. Arnett condemned the post, expressing his belief that the image depicted Bloom, who is Jewish, wearing a Nazi uniform. He described the post as abhorrent and offensive, calling for an apology from Nelson and for U.S. Senate candidate Rachel Fetty-Anderson to denounce the content.

In response to the accusations, Fetty-Anderson stated that Nelson did not create the image but merely reposted it. She further clarified that the uniform depicted was intended to be Soviet rather than Nazi, and that the intent behind the post was to protest the commission's use of opioid settlement funds to purchase surveillance technology. Fetty-Anderson argued that the focus on the image was a distraction from the larger issue of corporate influence, suggesting that Flock Safety’s presence in the community was the true driver of discord. The post was eventually deleted, and the debate highlighted the tensions surrounding the deployment of automated license plate readers within the county.