Built an ADHD Tool in 3 Months, but Got Roasted for Using AI ArtHey Indie Hackers

I've devoted the last three months to heads-down effort on my side-project: ADHDHelp.app.

Here's what's live right now, all built by myself:

Interactive techniques that activate the moment you choose your current mood.

A mixer with loops for focus, relaxation, or quick resets.

Quests for building habits that pay out for small wins.

A science-backed tips blog that is gaining traction.

All of the basic material is available for free. There's an $5 / month level that gets you more techniques and sounds, but you can survive with plenty without logging in at all.

Things were going smoothly—until I linked to it on Hacker News last week.

The backlash:

Commenters zeroed in on one thing: all posts include AI-generated header images. The reaction was far worse than I had expected. "Cheap," "lazy," "exploitative" were standard reactions. Some even ventured the therapeutic content is AI-generated too (it isn't—I individually chose and referenced every technique).

I get that graphics matter, but hiring an illustrator for dozens of articles would be a budget-breaker for my indie operation. The app is 100 % self-supported.

My questions to you all

Is it really a red flag for most users to have AI art, or is it just an HN bubble?

Where is the cut-expenses-to-appear-unprofessional boundary?

If you've shipped products containing AI-created imagery, what was your reception among the audience?

I'd love to hear your experience before going back on the whole content pipeline.