YouTube Creators Face Backlash Over AI Promo Videos
Matti Haapoja and Sam Kolder face heavy criticism from fans after posting promotional videos for Higgsfield and its Seedance 2.5 tool without disclosing sponsorships.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Matti Haapoja and Sam Kolder face backlash over promotional videos featuring Higgsfield AI.
- Clips showcasing Seedance 2.5 felt like ads but lacked clear sponsorship disclosures.
- Marques Brownlee pushed back against comparing generative AI to the Canon EOS 5D Mark II.
- Fans expressed disappointment over AI tools trained on human work without proper credit.
The YouTube creator community is facing a fresh wave of controversy as prominent filmmaking content creators, including Matti Haapoja and Sam “Kold” Kolder, published videos showcasing and reviewing AI platform Higgsfield, sparking widespread debate online.
The videos highlighted Higgsfield’s recently added Seedance 2.5 functionality, pitching the tech as the future of video production. Shortly after, other creators shared screenshots of partnership offers from PR firms representing Higgsfield, leading audiences to conclude the company was utilizing influencers to boost its public profile and secure goodwill.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Neither Haapoja’s nor Kolder’s videos were labeled as advertisements, and neither the creators nor Higgsfield responded to inquiries regarding paid partnerships. However, producing content that closely resembles sponsored ads left significant portions of their fanbases feeling alienated and frustrated.
This incident underscores the ongoing friction between tech-forward content creators and the broader ethical concerns surrounding generative AI. When influential figures endorse AI tools, it frequently triggers immediate pushback due to persistent controversies regarding models trained on human-made artwork without explicit credit or compensation.
Haapoja’s video featured an infomercial-style breakdown of how the feature-length film Cully Hill Boys was produced using prompts, starring AI duplicates of YouTubers Mikyle “N3on” Rafiq and Matt Kiatipis alongside AI-manipulated footage of himself in sci-fi settings. Meanwhile, Kolder’s video, titled "AI is replacing me," chronicled a fictionalized journey to Mauritania alongside a robot assistant, blending real-world footage with uncanny AI-generated visuals.
Backlash on Threads was swift, with fellow creator Marques Brownlee taking specific issue with Haapoja comparing generative AI to the Canon EOS 5D Mark II—an iconic DSLR that democratized 1080p filmmaking for independents. Brownlee emphasized that unlike a physical camera requiring human skill, generative AI is trained directly on real human material without accreditation.
Source: The Verge
Found something wrong in this article? Report an issue with this article
Comments
Leave a Comment