After spending $70–100 on tickets to the 2025 Barrister’s Ball, students were disappointed to find that, while prices were reduced by $10 across the board, costs were allegedly cut on the production of the infographics and watermarks on event photos. One major result of this cut was that most (if not all) photographs from official booths at the event displayed the wrong university name — and the images as a whole appeared to be generated by artificial intelligence.

Many attendees assumed that the event budget, which has been the epicenter of controversy within the past several months, would go toward meaningful enhancements of the experience, especially in the wake of issues spanning multiple iterations of Barrister’s Ball. Instead, it seems from the appearance that AI was used to generate the event’s infographics, visual displays, and branding on photos, cutting costs but also introducing embarrassing errors.

All photographs printed from the event label the George Washington University Law School as “Georgetown Law School,” which begs the question of who would have authorized the use of AI for such a critical part of the event and why there was no quality control to catch the error. Backgrounds created by the entry photo booth and those inside the venue depicted a watermark saying “Georgetown Law School” in multiple locations. These images appear to be very blatantly generated by AI (and not even a good generation, at that), which causes one to wonder why student funds are going directly toward hastily-prepared attractions that do not even cite the correct law school.

In an environment where we are routinely warned of the risks of utilizing AI, why would such an esteemed event that is so expensive for our students be left with so little scrutiny that such an overt mistake would smother the memories of the event? Students at GW Law seem to be held to a higher standard than the SBA, which organized the event and conducted the hiring processes that led to these errors. Students are calling for greater transparency in how event funds across the board are allocated and stricter oversight to prevent similar mishaps. Many believe that future events should prioritize quality and accuracy over cost-cutting measures that ultimately diminish the experience. As discussions unfold, the student body awaits a response from event organizers — one that acknowledges these concerns and ensures they are not repeated next year.