YouTuber sWooZie has responded to criticism of an AI-assisted sequence in his latest video, after animator Ashley Nichols said it used a character design she created for him in a way she did not support.
Nichols initially objected to seeing her design used with AI. She later clarified that she had been paid to create it for sWooZie, but said she would not have wanted it used this way. The criticism concerns how the design was repurposed, rather than whether the original commission was authorized.
In a pinned YouTube comment, sWooZie acknowledged concerns that AI could affect artists’ livelihoods. He said the artists who have worked on his channel bring his characters to life and that his character designs are commissioned, paid for and owned by him.
He also said he had spent three years trying to develop the project with animators, but the artists involved were ultimately unable to complete it. His proposed approach is to make videos more frequently with AI, use the resulting revenue to increase budgets for hiring artists, and reinvest that money in animation.
The comment did not directly address Nichols’ specific concern about using her design in an AI-assisted sequence. sWooZie said he did not want to anger anyone or start a debate, and asked viewers to suggest a better way forward.
Sources: Dexerto.