Disney Hack Revealed As Artists Group Fighting AI
A recent Disney hack has been confirmed by the company, and the group behind it is reportedly Nullbudge, which has claimed it has gained access to thousands of internal communications from Disney employees about various upcoming projects.
Disney told the BBC the matter is being investigated, and it’s unclear what exactly is in the files that have been downloaded by Nullbudge. Nullbudge also claims that it is a hacktivist group trying to protect artist rights and that it specifically targets companies it believes are harming creatives through AI-generated content.
Russian Hackers
The BBC also made contact with the Disney hack architects, who say they are based in Russia and that they were able to access Disney’s Slack through an insider. The group has yet to provide samples of the data hack to prove the files were taken, but Disney’s investigation suggests there was at least some level of access.
Nullbudge explained its targeting of Disney, telling the BBC, “Disney was our target due to how it handles artist contracts, its approach to AI, and its pretty blatant disregard for the consumer.”
The Hackers Expect Nothing To Change
The Disney hack group also said they released the data because they didn’t expect Disney to stop using AI. It seems the hacktivist group isn’t necessarily after money, as it wasn’t reported that Disney was extorted to get the data back. Disney has been under fire recently for some uses of AI, so they do make sense as a big target for a group like Nullbudge if the group is being honest about its mission.
Disney Uses AI
Perhaps the most notable recent example of Disney using AI is when the company released the MCU Disney+ series Secret Invasion, which featured an AI-generated intro sequence. The series tried to explain away the reason for using AI in the sequence, but fans disapproved of the move and felt the explanation was weak. Now, with this recent Disney hack, it seems like AI is still the hot topic of the entertainment industry.
Disney’s Massive IP Haul Is Primed For AI Misuse
Artificial intelligence was also a major sticking point in the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes last summer, as writers and actors wanted entertainment studios to agree to stricter restrictions on AI. Of course, Disney is one of the biggest entertainment companies out there and owns a lot of major IP. The Disney hack group may have protested the use of AI in an illegal way, but it’s safe to say they’re far from the only group concerned about the overuse of AI in the future.
Disney Is Still Investigating
Nullbudge’s website also states that its hacking acts like the Disney hack aren’t out of “malice” but to “punish those caught stealing.” This is referencing the fact that AI models are trained on existing text, images, video, etc that it uses to learn and create content. In that sense, AI-generated content could be viewed as a form of stealing or plagiarism, as it uses the existing work of artists.
It remains to be seen if Nullbudge is truly behind the Disney hack as the company continues to investigate the leaks. Meanwhile, companies like Disney and other major entities are sure to continue to face scrutiny from artists and the public regarding the use of AI. As AI continues to become more accessible, the controversy over the technology isn’t going to stop anytime soon.
Source: BBC
