The Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger announced Disney+ would soon allow user-generated AI content, and people aren’t happy about it. Fans and creatives are calling for a boycott of Disney+, including Dana Terrace who created Disney show The Owl House.
Backlash Over AI Disney+ Content
Terrace said in a series of posts on X:
PICK UP A PENCIL OR DIE.
“If you pay us we’ll let you make your own content slop! That we will own!”
YOU CAN DRAW AND WRITE AND POST YOUR OWN [censored] FOR FREE. Bob Iger and his ilk are [censored] ghouls.Unsubscribe from Disney+. Pirate Owl House. I don’t care. [censored] gen AI.
In response to a now unavailable post, Terrace said, “A ‘regular person’ can already create movies. Regular people create movies and art everyday. Every director, show runner, artist, film maker I know is a regular person, with limited resources, picking up pens, pencils, and styluses to create movies and art. EVERY. [censored]. DAY.”
Voice actor Alex Rochon said in X posts, “This is just going to drive more people to making original media and away from major companies like Disney. Between the nonstop sequels and live-action remakes no one asked for, it’s hard not to see it as a nonstop IP slop factory… ESPECIALLY with AI onboard.”
Rochon added, “Honestly? I don’t even think Iger believes in GenAI as a legitimate artistic medium. Most people – especially kids – are just going to use this for crappy memes. This is blatantly just to upsell the tech as something ‘useful’ because it’s rapidly bleeding money from freeware.”
Voice actor Meggie-Elise similarly said on X, “AI isn’t art. This is a blatant disrespect to the craft and legacy of those who actually create. I used to look up to Disney. This is incredibly disappointing.”
Iger teased the possible AI features and games coming to Disney+ during last week’s earnings call saying their partnerships with Epic Games and Pocket.watch would provide users with a “much more engaged experience including the ability for them to create UGC [user generated content] and to consume mostly shortform UGC from others.” He said AI provides “the opportunity to use Disney+ as a portal to all things Disney” including Disney Parks and Disney Cruise Line.
What do you think of Iger’s AI comments and the call to boycott Disney+?
For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.