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Netflix pulled an AI-edited promotional poster for the animated series Arcane after it sparked backlash for disrespecting the show’s human artists.
Netflix landed in hot water after fans noticed some questionable artwork promoting the upcoming second season of the acclaimed animated series Arcane. One of the show’s promotional posters appeared to use AI-generated imagery, sparking backlash from viewers who felt it disrespected the talented artists.
Deformed Hand
The controversy kicked off when a fan pointed out on X that a character’s hand looked suspiciously deformed and unnatural. It certainly came off as odd for a show like Arcane, which is renowned for its incredibly detailed visuals and unique art style.
Alex Shahmiri, the brand lead for Arcane at Riot Games, quoted that same post on X and didn’t mince words. He called the AI-tainted art “disrespectful to the incredible artists who worked on the show.”
appreciate you bringing this to our attention. we have a strict stance of no ai for anything relating to arcane cause it's disrespectful to the incredible artists who worked on the show. this image was a mistake and has since been removed. ty again for calling it out
— alex (@RiotAstryx) November 22, 2024
Shahmiri also clarified that Arcane has a strict no-AI policy, stating “what makes art so special is the human connection and feeling” that gets lost with machine-generated imagery.
It seems Netflix’s team tried using AI image generation to extend an existing Arcane promo image into a widescreen banner format, likely with one of those “generative fill” tools. The results were… less than stellar, with a low-res, mangled hand stuck awkwardly onto the artwork.
Just check out the original image below and compare it with the altered version.
At least this makes it clear that the banner is not proper “AI-generated art.” But the half-baked editing was enough to invite backlash.
Nevertheless, Shahmiri also confirmed in the same thread that the image was removed, so there’s that.
The news comes amid an uneasy relationship emerging between new AI tools and sectors like entertainment that rely on human artistry and creativity. Recently, a job posting by Riot for a “Research Scientist Intern – Generative AI” aimed at using AI to “inform decisions” on product development, came under fire. It was particularly damning for a company that’s seen two rounds of layoffs this year alone.
