Amazon and BuzzFeed’s AI Animation Deal Sparks IP Dispute with Original Creator
The WIRED report details the escalating conflict between the original artist and the media giant over intellectual property rights and the integration of artificial intelligence in creative workflows.
Amazon Prime Video and BuzzFeed have launched an AI-animated series titled ‘Cupcake & Friends’, based on the ‘Good Advice Cupcake’ character, igniting a public dispute with the original creator, Loryn Brantz. The project, developed with generative artificial intelligence tools, is part of the GenAI Creators’ Fund, a joint initiative by Amazon Web Services and Amazon MGM Studios. Brantz has publicly condemned the initiative, asserting she did not consent to the use of generative AI and accusing the companies of breaching trust.
Brantz, who created the character in 2014 while working for BuzzFeed, left the company in 2023 to become executive creative director for YouTube educator Ms. Rachel. She continues to license the character from BuzzFeed for her own content, including an Instagram page with over 2 million followers. The original creator described the new series as a “soulless AI puppet” and an assault on artists, urging a boycott of BuzzFeed and any AI-produced animation. She maintains that she would never have signed a contract allowing the use of such technology when the character was first developed, noting that AI did not exist at the time.
BuzzFeed maintains that it owns the intellectual property rights to the character and asserts that human creativity remains central to the production. A spokesperson stated that BuzzFeed Studios is excited to use new technology to revitalise a dormant library series. Jonah Peretti, president of BuzzFeed AI, said in a statement that human writers and animators are developing the project, with AI used only as a facilitation tool. Peretti compared the use of AI to Disney’s historical adoption of Xerox technology to assist the animation process, arguing that Brantz’s personal opposition to AI cannot dictate how BuzzFeed develops its owned intellectual property.
The dispute has intensified following recent leadership changes at BuzzFeed. Media mogul Byron Allen recently acquired a majority stake in the brand for $120 million and has outlined plans to leverage AI to transform BuzzFeed into a competitor for YouTube. Brantz alleges that Peretti only offered to provide details about the project after she threatened to make a public scene and conditioned further information on her signing a nondisclosure agreement, which she declined.
Brantz has challenged the comparison made by BuzzFeed between AI animation and Disney’s historical use of Xerox technology, calling the analogy “deeply misleading.” She argues that BuzzFeed has been deliberately vague regarding how AI will be utilised in the production of ‘Cupcake & Friends’. With fans applauding her transparency, Brantz is currently exploring legal options regarding the dispute, describing the situation as a nightmare scenario for creatives in the age of artificial intelligence.
