Jorge Gutierrez said he is no longer going to make an AI-generated animated series for Amazon’s Prime Video under the company’s new initiative to fund AI entertainment projects — and he apologized to “those I upset” after a backlash about news of his involvement was announced this week.
“I have decided to drop out of the AI program at Amazon,” Gutierrez wrote on social media Friday. “I will not be making a Punky Duck series. Actions speak louder than words.”
Gutierrez continued, “My intent was to showcase artists, both new and seasoned, both inside and outside the studios, driving this new tech. My sincerest apology to those I upset. I promise to do better moving forward. Thank you for your patience with me. I will try harder.”
Amazon MGM had described Gutierrez’s planned “Punky Duck” AI-generated series as featuring a “lovable punk duck and his best friend, Smiley Cat” set in a chaotic L.A. landscape beset by an alien invasions, monsters and other “supernatural mayhem.”
Reps for Amazon MGM did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Gutierrez was originally announced as leading one of three projects Amazon MGM Studios had greenlight under its new GenAI Creators’ Fund, which is providing funding and access to AI production tools to filmmakers, digital creators and tech startups for developing premium TV shows and movies. Amazon MGM is teaming with sister organization AWS to launch what they claim will be the industry’s first purpose-built AI production platform.
Gutierrez is the writer-director of animated feature film “The Book of Life” for 20th Century Studios and creator of “El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera” for Nickelodeon and “Maya and the Three” for Netflix.
Earlier Friday, Gutierrez had posted, “Learning a lot from many of you. Thank you. Lots of information that I’m digesting wholeheartedly. I am absolutely understanding the concern of using AI to assist an animation pipeline. For all those showing me grace, I really appreciate it. I have a lot to think about.”
This was the original logline provide by Amazon MGM about Gutierrez’s project:
“Punky Duck”: A lovable punk duck and his best friend, Smiley Cat, tear through a wildly exaggerated Los Angeles, hilariously stumbling into alien invasions, giant monsters, robot criminal conspiracies, telenovela-style family drama and supernatural mayhem — all while trying (and usually failing) to do the right thing.
