Earlier this week, I somewhat stupidly asked our readers to send me examples of "ChatGPT flyers," the AI-generated posters and advertisements that have taken over social media, bulletin boards, restaurant menus, store signage, business cards, and billboards around the world. I say stupidly, because I was flooded with so many terrible, brain-numbing signs for anything you could possibly imagine. I guess I got what I asked for. (Thank you, I love it).

404 Media readers were particularly passionate about their hatred for AI-designed signs. I got some of the best email responses to any story I've done here. Before I get into the AI flyer hall of shame, here's some of what I heard:

"They look like absolute DOG SHIT. Like my cat's litter box! I freaking HATE THEM. I have been posting to my Instagram begging people and businesses to stop using them. No one listens LOL. Thanks for this article. I am glad I'm not screaming into the void by myself."

"thank you for writing this story. I've evangelically shared it with everyone I know, for whatever that's worth. I had never seen a local group churn out an AI-generated flyer before this year, but in the last several months it's gotten out of control. I'm sure you're being inundated with lousy AI flyers. Sorry for adding to the deluge, but this is something that's been bothering me for months."

"This is a great article but also fuck you because you were absolutely right about 'Once you notice a ChatGPT flyer, you will see them everywhere if you keep your eyes open.'"

Without further ado, here are some of the worst flyers we got. This represents just a small sampling of the overall number you sent me. In some cases I've provided more context from the person who sent it to me, and I've biased for ones that appeared in real life (i.e., were printed out) or that are particularly weird. Enjoy!

You know the expression, “You can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube.” Except … now you can. SURI, the company behind the eco-friendly sonic toothbrush, just introduced another sustainable option in your dental routine: refillable toothpaste.

Refillable soaps, shampoos, and household cleaners have become increasingly common, but toothpaste has largely remained tied to its single-use tube. SURI’s Restore Gel Refillable Toothpaste—a product two years in the making—attempts to change that.

Photography courtesy of SURI.

“We crafted the product experience from the ground up with the user at the center of every design decision, rethinking how people buy, use, and dispose of toothpaste,” explains Seb Wetherall, SURI’s head of innovation.

This meant creating a new product architecture entirely, one designed around the full life cycle of toothpaste. The Restore Gel refillable system is designed to stay on the countertop—or taken on-the-go thanks to a secure lid—and to be used over and over.

The design is anchored by a precision-dosed airless pump made from 50 percent recycled plastic. Made in partnership with Shellworks, the refill bottles are made with Vivomer, a plant-based home-compostable material. Simply drop a refill into the dispenser, which delivers a precise amount of paste with each pump. Once the bottle is empty, it can return to nature and you can pop a new one in.

Photography of SURI.

All together, SURI Restore Gel Refillable Toothpaste reframes toothpaste as a reusable object rather than disposable packaging. “The result is a reusable dispenser designed to feel at home on the bathroom countertop or in a wash bag,” Wetherall explains, “uniting performance, sustainability and considered design in a seamless everyday experience.”

Even if your go-to toothpaste doesn’t get messy with bright blue paste after extended use, it’s likely not an item you want to leave on your curated bathroom counter. SURI’s Restore Gel, on the other hand, is designed to be displayed. It’s available in Sky, Meadow, or Stone, three soft, muted pastels that fit with a variety of wellness-inspired palettes and bathroom styles.

Photography courtesy of SURI.

The redesign extends beyond the packaging. The Restore Gel formula features high-grade nano-hydroxyapatite (n-HAp), a synthetic calcium phosphate compound that is becoming increasingly popular in oral care products, shown to help strengthen enamel.

You may not be able to put toothpaste back in the (traditional) tube—but you can cut back on your reliance on single-use plastics without compromising. SURI co-founder and CEO Gyve Safavi says that Restore Gel Refillable Toothpaste was created “so you don’t have to choose between a formula that works, a system that looks beautiful on your shelf, and more considered packaging.”

Whether refillable toothpaste becomes the next everyday standard remains to be seen, but SURI makes a compelling case that even one of the bathroom’s most overlooked objects deserves better design.

Photography courtesy of SURI.

SURI Restore Gel Refillable Toothpaste is available to purchase on trysuri.com, starting at $34.99.

Ick wees ja nich, wat bei euch so los is, aber ick für meenen Teil hab hier jetzt drei Wochen Urlaub und die Welt da draußen kann mir derweil mal am Töffel tüten. Womit könnte man dazu passender starten als mit dieser Selektion aus Djanzys Plattenregal? Genau – da fällt mir jetzt gerade auch nicht Besseres ein. Brot backen, Bruschetta machen, am Pool rumlümmeln, paar Kilometer Fahrrad fahren. Hach!

Tracklist:
01 Twit One – Malandragem
02 Blick Bassy – Aké
03 Moses Sumney – Quarrel
04 Fat Freddy’s Drop – Dark Days
05 Bonobo – Second Sun
06 Greg Foat & Ayo Salawu – Interstellar Fantasy
07 Organic Pulse Ensemble – Peace Piece
08 The Cinematic Orchestra – All That You Give (feat. Fontella Bass)
09 Greentea Peng – Meditation
10 OutKast – SpottieOttieDopaliscious
11 Glass Beams – Mirage
12 BADBADNOTGOOD – Take Me With You
13 Matthew Halsall & The Gondwana Orchestra – As I Walk (feat. Josephine Oniyama)
14 Call Sender – Laura
15 Chip Wickham – Falling Deep
16 Pete Philly & Perquisite – Hope (feat. Talib Kweli)

Michael Kalus posted a photo:

Visitors gather beneath a large red torii gate at the shrine entrance.

Michael Kalus posted a photo:

Looking upward through dense rows of red torii gates.