Fans clap back after discovering Marvel's Secret Invasion used AI to generate art for opening credits

Fans have panned Marvel’s Secret Invasion for using artificial intelligence (AI) for the show's opening credits.

Director Ali Selim has triggered many after admitting to Polygon that AI company Method Studios designed the opening credits for the latest Marvel series.

Selim explained that using AI tied into the themes of the show.

“When we reached out to the AI vendors, that was part of it — it just came right out of the shape-shifting, Skrull world identity, you know? Who did this? Who is this?” he said.

While initially, he didn’t ‘really understand’ how AI works, it definitely piqued his interest.

“We would talk to them about ideas and themes and words, and then the computer would go off and do something. And then we could change it a little bit by using words, and it would change,” he added.

However, the move has faced significant backlash, with many noting the elimination of real graphic designers and animators.

One user on Twitter panned the decision, claiming it was ‘salt in the wounds’ amid the 2023 Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike.

“Secret Invasion uses AI in the intro. Leadership of the show ‘doesn’t know how AI works’. Vendor is Method Studios. Who would not respond for comment. This is salt in the wounds of all Artists and Writers in the WGA strike,” they wrote.

Another said: “Seeing that Marvel used AI to make the intro for Secret Invasion is SO f**king disappointing. There’s no justifying that s**t, this intro for the show is absolutely terrible.”

A third said: “No way in hell Marvel used AI to create the secret invasion intro, this is the worst intro for any TV show ever #SecretInvasion.”

While one man who claimed to have worked in the show's design and props department said he was ‘devastated’ over Selim’s decision.

Secret Invasion uses Ai in the intro. Leadership of the show “doesn’t know how Ai works.” Vendor is Method studios. Who would not respond for comment.

This is salt in the wounds of all Artists and Writers in the WGA strike #boycottSecretInvasion https://t.co/fmAiARYsLB pic.twitter.com/Lv9uvzSygb

— Jon Lam #CreateDontScrape (@JonLamArt) June 21, 2023

seeing that marvel used AI to make the intro for secret invasion is SO fucking disappointing. there’s no justifying that shit, this intro for the show is absolutely terrible pic.twitter.com/rpmkVbrsxy

— kaz/ember ☽☾ (@lqvekanej) June 21, 2023

No way in hell Marvel used AI to create the secret invasion intro, this is the worst intro for any TV show ever #SecretInvasion pic.twitter.com/XePW5a4CtB

— Fdm (@theSnyderKnight) June 21, 2023

“Secret Invasion intro is AI generated. I’m devastated, I believe AI to be unethical, dangerous, and designed solely to eliminate artists' careers. Spent almost half a year working on this show and had a fantastic experience working with the most amazing people I ever met…,” he wrote.

It comes after Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker admitted he had ChatGPT write an episode for the latest season of his hit dystopian series.

He told Empire he had ‘toyed’ with the artificial intelligence chatbot but immediately scrapped the episode.

Brooker told the outlet: "I’ve toyed around with ChatGPT a bit.

"The first thing I did was type 'generate Black Mirror episode' and it comes up with something that, at first glance, reads plausibly, but on second glance, is s**t.

"Because all it’s done is look up all the synopsis of Black Mirror episodes, and sort of mush them together.

"Then if you dig a bit more deeply you go, 'Oh, there’s not actually any real original thought here'."