Director Jorge Gutierrez has announced that he will not be making a hybrid series using generative artificial intelligence in collaboration with Amazon.
Film director «Maya and Three» и «The Book of Life» wrote on social media on Friday that he was withdrawing from the series. «Punky Duck» , announced at the Amazon AI on the Lot event just two days earlier. .
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«"I've decided to leave the AI program at Amazon. I will not be making a Punky Duck series. Actions speak louder than words," the director wrote on social media. "My goal was to showcase the talents of artists, both emerging and experienced, both inside and outside of studios that are embracing new technologies. I offer my sincerest apologies to those I've upset. I promise to do better in the future. Thank you for your patience. I will do better.".
Edition The Hollywood Reporter contacted Amazon for comment.
Gutierrez, a well-known figure in the animation world, was the most prominent director associated with the project, which emerged from Amazon's new GenAI Creators Fund. His series «Punky Duck» was supposed to follow "an adorable punk duck and his best friend, Smiley Cat," who "dash through a wildly over-the-top Los Angeles, comically encountering alien invasions, giant monsters, robot crime plots, telenovela-style family drama, and supernatural mayhem—all while trying (and usually failing) to do the right thing.".
His statements followed criticism from another creator whose work was announced in connection with the initiative. On Wednesday, the character's creator, the star of the Buzzfeed Studios series "« Good Advice Cupcake», BuzzFeed criticized the company for collaborating with Amazon to create a generative series based on her creation. Lauren Branz stated that she was "horrified and outraged that BuzzFeed took my character, 'Good Advice Cupcake,' and handed it over to an AI platform.".
On Thursday, Gutierrez hinted in a social media post that he was reconsidering his decision, telling followers that he had "a lot of information I'm carefully reviewing" amid the backlash over his collaboration with the GenAI Creators Fund. He added, "I completely understand the concerns about using AI to assist in the animation process. To everyone who has shown me understanding, I'm very grateful. I have a lot to think about." The post was followed by numerous comments objecting to the use of AI in animation.
Many in the animation community are wary of generative AI tools and have ethical concerns about them. In an interview THR Earlier this week, Albert Cheng, head of AI Studios at Amazon MGM Studios, said the GenAI Creators Fund found animated projects through referrals from Amazon's animation team and agents who knew of filmmakers interested in the technology. "I'd like to have people who are inclined toward it or who are interested. But there aren't that many of those people," Cheng admitted.
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