The Windows Central colors meet Windows 11's "Bloom" wallpaper in this mashup.
This combination of Windows 11's "Bloom" wallaper and the Windows Central colors now sits as my desktop background.(Image credit: Microsoft | Edited with Gemini)
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Last week I highlighted a wallpaper that combined the famous "Bliss" image that was the default background on Windows XP with the "Bloom" wallpaper of Windows 11. "Feeling of Nostalgia - Windows 11 Bliss Wallpaper" drew quite a bit of attention, not all of which was good.
"Yummy ai slop," said one comment. "AI, artificial insult," said another.
Others claimed that "Originality in humans is debatable" and that all human work is built on work created by other people.
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A third category of commenters argued that since the Bliss image was 25 years old, that it wasn't a big deal to enhance the photo with AI to make a new wallpaper.
The spice in the comments was... surprising to say the least. I knew that AI was controversial, but I didn't expect such a strong reaction to a wallpaper someone shared on Reddit.
Eventually, discourse around the AI-generated image devolved into people on multiple sides accusing others of being in a cult. So... that's a thing.
I'm just going to step around all of that and highlight a different wallpaper, which was also generated by AI (hello comment section).
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My friend and colleague Ben Wilson played around with Gemini to have the tool generate a version of the Windows 11 "Bloom" wallpaper that features the colors of the Windows Central logo.
I've worked at Windows Central for a long time, and I read the site extensively and was part of the community back in the days of Windows Phone. Needless to say, I have an emotional connection to the WC colors, even if part of me prefers our old-school, iconic pink from back in the day.
The version here is a bit of a tease for things to come. We'll share a high-res version of it soon, alongside some other Windows Central-themed content.
For now, you can enjoy the remix of "Bloom" and argue about if it's okay to make the picture using AI.
🪟 What do you think of our remixed wallpaper?
I know the "AI slop" discourse isn't going anywhere, but sometimes a wallpaper is just a wallpaper. When Ben sent this over, I didn't care about the prompts or the processing. I just saw those Windows Central colors and immediately hit "Set as background."
We’re putting the finishing touches on a batch of Windows Central–themed content.What would you like to see? Let us know in the comments!
Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.
Sean Endicott is a news writer and apps editor for Windows Central with 11+ years of experience. A Nottingham Trent journalism graduate, Sean has covered the industry’s arc from the Lumia era to the launch of Windows 11 and generative AI. Having started at Thrifter, he uses his expertise in price tracking to help readers find genuine hardware value.
Beyond tech news, Sean is a UK sports media pioneer. In 2017, he became one of the first to stream via smartphone and is an expert in AP Capture systems. A tech-forward coach, he was named 2024 BAFA Youth Coach of the Year. He is focused on using technology—from AI to Clipchamp—to gain a practical edge.
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