It’s surprising that Hasbro hasn’t played around with the idea of Transformers based on countries before. After all, the Autobots and Decepticons have populated our planet for a myriad of years, and it’s hard to not see them being influenced by our various evolving cultures. What the PlanetAI exercise does very well is show just how diverse the cultures and aesthetics on our planet are, revealing that the Transformers are a blank canvas that can be molded to fit each nation’s customs and traditions.
Consider the artificial intelligence-generated image that shows Transformers directly influenced by Japan’s rich history with samurai. That image takes cues from the country’s tradition by creating a Transformer that looks absolutely brilliant and in tune with the visual language that has dominated the nation. It’s genuinely difficult not to imagine this Transformer existing alongside the likes of Megatron and Optimus Prime.
Or how about the Transformer from Albania, which transforms into an eagle? The Balkan country’s national animal and the Albanian flag boasts a two-headed eagle. This is a great example of AI thinking beyond just the traditional, towering, and humanoid robot designs that the franchise is mostly known for. The Chinese Transformer, for example, turns into a dragon — a significant creature for the Middle Kingdom.
There are, however, a few duds, which don’t do much to express just how unique some cultures are. For example, the United States-inspired Transformer is a towering beast, reminiscent of a beefier Optimus Prime, and simply features the Star Spangled Banner throughout its design.
