Marvel fans are outraged over Secret Invasion utilizing AI amid ongoing strike
Fans are not happy with Marvel’s use of AI for the art in the opening credits of Secret Invasion.
The much-anticipated Secret Invasion series just crash-landed on our screens this Wednesday, but the buzz that’s ensued isn’t all rainbows and sunshine. And no, it’s not about the plot twists, the superb acting, or even about the shape-shifting Skrulls. The controversy stirring up a social media storm revolves around the opening credits.
Director Ali Selim revealed in an interview with Polygon that they took a leap of faith, enlisting artificial intelligence to whip up the opening sequence. The brainchild of Method Studios, the AI-generated credits, according to Selim, was an ideal fit for the show’s theme. Despite his self-professed lack of understanding of the ways of AI, Selim was intrigued by the concept. In his words, they’d chat with the AI vendors about ideas, themes, and buzzwords, and then let the computer take over, resulting in what we see in the opening sequence.
This revelation has rubbed many the wrong way, with some fans fearing the implications of this AI intervention. The concern? The displacement of skilled graphic designers and animators who would typically craft these eye-catching sequences. This technological shift couldn’t have come at a more prickly time either, given the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, wherein the issue of AI replacing human creation has been a hot topic of discussion.
So Marvel really used AI to make the intro for #SecretInvasion… it’s actually over. pic.twitter.com/pWUNOZWTqd
— Brian Long (@BrianLongFilms) June 21, 2023
Secret Invasion intro is AI generated. I’m devastated, I believe AI to be unethical, dangerous and designed solely to eliminate artists careers. Spent almost half a year working on this show and had a fantastic experience working with the most amazing people I ever met…
— Jeff Simpson (@jeffsimpsonkh) June 21, 2023
Jon Lam, a storyboard artist, tweeted, “This is salt in the wounds of all Artists and Writers in the WGA strike.” Plenty of Marvel fans have also turned to Twitter and other social media with reactions ranging from empathy for the WGA’s struggle to outright disapproval of the series, and some even added that the series is over despite enjoying the first episode.
And just like that, Marvel’s Secret Invasion finds itself at the epicenter of a discussion far bigger than comic books and superheroes, igniting conversations about technology, labor, and the future of creativity.
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