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Filmmaker Jorge Gutierrez "Drops Out" From Directing AI Series
Gutierrez apologized after saying he would not make the greenlit Punky Duck series, as Amazon’s AI entertainment push drew criticism.
On Friday, Filmmaker Jorge Gutierrez announced he is dropping out of the Amazon MGM Studios GenAI Creators Fund program, cancelling his Punky Duck series that was unveiled just two days earlier at the AI on the Lot event.
Gutierrez hinted at the decision Thursday, telling followers he was digesting information amid backlash regarding his association with the GenAI Creators Fund, as many in the animation community remain suspicious of generative AI tools.
"Actions speak louder than words," Gutierrez wrote while apologizing to "those I upset," explaining his original intent was to showcase artists driving new technology while promising to do better.
Criticism from other creators fueled the controversy, with Loryn Brantz expressing she was "horrified and disgusted by BuzzFeed taking my character, The Good Advice Cupcake, and giving it to an AI platform."
Amazon MGM Studios and AWS intended the fund to provide tools for developing premium media, and the initiative remains focused on building what they claim will be the industry's first purpose-built AI production platform.