No they didn’t—from TFA:

  When the poster contest was originally formed in 2024, the use of AI was permitted if explained as a part of the application process.

Since current US legal decisions indicate that genAI works are not copyrightable, this is troublesome for any organization that wants exclusive licensing for publicity. The State Fair would expect to incorporate their art winners into marketing, posters, and expect to strike down derivative works and other commercial uses.

Not to mention that any Ai-entrant piece could be duplicated by any other entrant.

▲ userbinator 11 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Not to mention that any Ai-entrant piece could be duplicated by any other entrant

With great difficulty, maybe. You'd need the exact model, prompt, seed, and hardware, and even then I believe there is some nondeterminism.

	▲	ButlerianJihad 41 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		I was thinking more like C-c C-v, or just take a photo of a competitor’s poster, but you do your seeding

▲ ameliaquining 12 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Probably they figured that the risk of any of that stuff causing actual problems was less than the headache of publicly disqualifying an already-announced winner who has a colorable argument that she didn't break any rules.

▲ vkou 15 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Whether is not copyrightable is not relevant to this. The parent poster's point is just as salient. The creator, not the sumbitter needs to meet the criteria in question. A clanker isn't a resident of Ohio.

	▲	defrost 15 hours ago \| parent \| next [-]
		I'm largely in the not fond of AI artwork camp and the weird rigging on the chair lifts in the winning entry bug me no end (first thing that caught my eye), however ... Is Jeff Koons (and others in the "massive installation" artwork game) the creator of his works or does that honour go to the minions that instantiate his wishes? We're talking "grand vision" description here .. now you 30 people go and flesh out the details.
	▲	satvikpendem 15 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		Not really, AI is a tool and so it's assumed that the submitter is the creator. The Ohio judges will not be as pedantic as you and then other comment above try to make it seem.