Loki Is Disney’s Latest Show Under Fire For Using AI?
Sure, audiences are thrilled that Season 2 of Loki is now back on Disney+ to continue the story that first caught the attention of Marvel fans everywhere with its first season back in 2021. Unfortunately, with all the positive attention, The Verge reports that the production is receiving some negative shade as well, and some fans have pointed out that Disney likely used AI for one of the promo posters.
Eagle-eyed Marvel fans have found evidence that Disney used A.I. to generate the artwork for the official Loki Season 2 poster.
The image in question features the head of Tom Hiddleston’s Loki with a winding staircase wrapping around him while other characters from the series run around the seemingly never-ending maze. Taking to X (formerly known as Twitter) last week to share her concerns about AI usage, illustrator Katria Raden said that the image gives the “telltale signs” of artificial intelligence being used in the place of human artists. The main sign she points out is “things randomly turning into meaningless squiggles,” which is a surefire way to spot the difference between an AI-generated animation and a human crafted piece.
While The House of Mouse did speak out about their use of AI in Secret Invasion, claiming that none of the work done with the generators took pay from their human staff, the studio has yet come out to address the rumors swirling around Loki.
Just as the writers’ are putting down their picket signs and picking up their pencils (or laptops) to get back to work following the historical WGA strike, artists are now worried that they’ll need to fight the studios for similar reasons. With the Loki poster only being one of many examples, those working in the world of crafting posters and images are worried that the studios will cut corners and use AI technology instead of good old-fashioned graphic designers. And they’re right to be worried, as Disney was recently under fire for doing something similar with its Marvel series, Secret Invasion.
While The House of Mouse did speak out about their use of AI in Secret Invasion, claiming that none of the work done with the generators took pay from their human staff, the studio has yet come out to address the rumors swirling around Loki. What’s even more troubling for Disney should they deny the claims is that a handful of X users have pinpointed the exact background that they believe was used in the Loki poster. Titled “Surreal Infinity Time Spiral Space Antique,” the stock image, according to @thepokeflutist, isn’t too old to have been AI-generated, with others jumping in to back up these claims.
As for the second season of Loki, the first episode premiered last week, with the second to arrive on October 12, followed by weekly installments until the season finale on November 9.
There is a chance that Disney simply didn’t know that the clock image in Loki isn’t a piece of AI-generated material, as Shutterstock didn’t label it as such. However, if this is the case, it still casts a bad light on the studio’s graphic design team as – to those who are familiar with the art form – the differences are incredibly easy to spot. The drama surrounding Loki is just another hit against those working in the industry, as the last year has seen a barrage of new programs, including Canva Magic Studio and Adobe Firefly, each of which threaten to bring AI-generated work to the front lines.
As for the second season of Loki, the first episode premiered last week, with the second to arrive on October 12, followed by weekly installments until the season finale on November 9. Along with Hiddleston reprising his role as the God of Mischief, Season 2 also stars Owen Wilson, Sophia Di Martino, Wunmi Mosaku, Rafael Casal, and Eugene Cordero.
