Director Jorge Gutierrez says he won’t be making a hybrid AI series with Amazon after all.
the Maya and the three and Book of life The director wrote on social media on Friday that he was withdrawing from a Punky Duck The series was announced at Amazon’s AI on the Lot event just two days ago.
“I have decided to withdraw from the AI program at Amazon. I will not be directing the Punky Duck series. Actions speak louder than words,” the director wrote on social media. “My goal was to showcase the artists, both new and seasoned, in and out of studios, who are leading this new technology. My sincere apologies to those I upset. I promise to do better moving forward. Thank you for being patient with me. I will do my best.”
Hollywood Reporter I have reached out to Amazon for comment.
Gutierrez, a prominent name in animation, was the most high-profile director associated with a startup project from Amazon’s new GenAI Creators Fund. for him Punky Duck The series is set to follow “a lovable punk Duck and his best friend, Smiley Cat” as they “tear through a wildly over-the-top Los Angeles, stumbling hilariously into alien invasions, giant monsters, robotic criminal conspiracies, telenovela-style family drama, and supernatural mayhem — all while trying (and usually failing) to do the right thing.”
His statements come after criticism from another creator whose work was announced in association with the initiative. On Wednesday, the star creator of Buzzfeed Studios Good tip cupcake The company was criticized for partnering with Amazon to adapt its AI series. Lauren Brantz said she was “horrified and disgusted that BuzzFeed would take my character, The Good Advice Cupcake, and give her to an AI platform.”
Gutierrez hinted that he was rethinking the decision in a social media post on Thursday, telling his followers that he had “a lot of information that I wholeheartedly absorb” amid backlash over his association with the GenAI Creators Fund. He added, “I completely understand the concern about using AI to help the animation pipeline. And to everyone who has shown me grace, I really appreciate it. I have a lot to think about.” The post was followed by many comments opposing the use of artificial intelligence in animation.
Many in the animation community are skeptical of generative AI tools and ethically conflicted about them. In an interview with THR Earlier in the week, Albert Cheng, head of AI studios at Amazon MGM Studios, said the GenAI Creators Fund found animation projects by receiving referrals from Amazon’s animation team and agents familiar with filmmakers interested in the technology. “I kind of wanted to have people who were drawn to it or were curious. Not a lot of people are,” Cheng admitted.
