Animator Jorge R. Gutierrez is facing online backlash following news that his latest series, \u201cPunky Duck,\u201d will use artificial intelligence for its production.<\/p>\n
Amazon MGM Studios and Amazon Web Services announced on Wednesday the launch of the GenAI Creators\u2019 Fund<\/a>, a joint initiative that gives creators access to professional-grade AI tools and funding to produce cinematic entertainment.<\/p>\n Three animation projects have already been greenlighted, including Gutierrez\u2019s \u201cPunky Duck,\u201d which follows a punk duck and his best friend, Smiley Cat, through a wildly exaggerated Los Angeles filled with alien invasions, giant monsters, robot criminal conspiracies, telenovela-style family drama and supernatural mayhem.<\/p>\n BuzzFeed Studios\u2019 \u201cCupcake & Friends\u201d and Albie Hecht\u2019s \u201cLove, Diana Music Hunters\u201d are also part of the initiative.<\/p>\n Speaking at the AI on the Lot event at Culver Studios, Gutierrez spoke positively of using the controversial new technology, <\/a> comparing it to \u201chaving sex and then they hand you the baby.\u201d<\/p>\n Fans took to social media to critique the \u201cBook of Life\u201d creator, sharing their disappointment. Many pointed out how the tool is actively reshaping traditional Hollywood jobs<\/a>, from storyboarding to production design, raising concerns over creative control.<\/p>\n As a response to the backlash, Gutierrez uploaded a screenshot to Instagram<\/a> that same day featuring news articles by Variety<\/a> and the Hollywood Reporter<\/a> with a caption addressing the collaboration: \u201cI understand a lot of you are happy for me and a lot of you are really angry at me for experimenting with AI at Amazon. I\u2019m going to leave the comments open so you can get it all out and hopefully feel better.\u201d<\/p>\n Gutierrez also warned that any death threats will be reported, as well as threats to his family.<\/p>\n In a subsequent Instagram post, he shared a screenshot of a post on X<\/a>, which showed edits to Gutierrez\u2019s Wikipedia page, where he is described as a \u201csellout.\u201d Gutierrez captioned his Instagram: \u201cWhoever did this I thought it was really funny!\u201d<\/p>\n The Mexican creator is behind Nickelodeon\u2019s \u201cEl Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera\u201d and Netflix\u2019s \u201cMaya and the Three.\u201d He is also currently developing the long-awaited Speedy Gonzales film<\/a> with Warner Bros. Pictures Animation.<\/p>\n It took over a decade for Gutierrez to get approval for his 2014 film \u201cThe Book of Life<\/a>,\u201d a beloved storybook animation about the Day of the Dead. After multiple rejections from top animation studios, it was eventually produced by Mexican director Guillermo del Toro \u2014 a staunch critic of AI<\/a>, who described its use as \u201csharting\u201d at a party to The Times late last year. <\/p>\n By comparison, \u201cPunky Duck,\u201d was greenlighted in two months, according to Cartoon Brew<\/a>.<\/p>\n In a statement to The Times, Gutierrez said he is \u201ccautiously optimistic\u201d about his collaboration with Amazon MGM Studios: \u201cArtists driving tech, and not the other way around, is my goal.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a big experiment for me, and like all experiments it might not work, and I will be as cautious and ethical as possible with AI,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n Gutierrez has been critical of AI in the past, expressing distaste for the tool through a series of cheeky memes shared in 2023<\/a>, 2024<\/a> and 2025<\/a>. Last year<\/a>, he referred to the nascent technology as a \u201cmutant AI cockroach.\u201d <\/p>\n