Disney's Alleged AI Recreation of Famed Thanksgiving Painting Sparks Social Media Backlash

(Photo : Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images)
URAYASU, JAPAN - JANUARY 17: Actors dressed as Walt Disney characters Minnie Mouse (L) and Mickey Mouse (R) perform during a press preview for the "Minnie Besties Bash!" parade at Tokyo DisneySea on January 17, 2023 in Urayasu, Japan. The special event is held for 73 days from January 18 to March 31.

Disney comes under fire on social media for posting its iteration of the famous Norman Rockwell painting "Freedom from Want," more colloquially known as the "Thanksgiving Picture," for allegedly generating its photo using AI.

The photo was included in an Instagram post on the company's official account last Friday, Nov. 24, and features beloved characters like Mickey, Minney, Goofy, Donald, and Max. However, the fans were quick to point out in the comments how much the picture looks like it was "AI generated" and promptly expressed their "disappointment."

One user commented: "The second you notice this is AI all the mistakes become blatantly obvious. It's a shame a creative company like Disney would stoop this low."

"Billion-dollar company can't afford real art? Embarrassing," another user wrote.

Disney also took flak on X, formally Twitter, in a post comparing side-by-side this year's version of the painting and another one the company did in the past, which was much more praised than the current iteration.

Fans on X mainly pointed out the inconsistencies within the current art and the "horribly" done details. Reactions consisted of calling the photo flat-out mediocre, soulless, and even scary. Some fans even voiced concerns for the future with one X user commenting, "Definitely appears that easy and I unfortunately think we will see more and more of this."

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Disney's History of Involvement With AI

Following the months-long actors and writers strike, anxieties surrounding the use of AI reached new heights as the bigger studios entered the picture. In response to these worries, one Disney executive took to the stands to say that the studio is taking a "very cautious approach to AI."

Disney executive producer Peter Del Vocho told The Direct in an interview, "Truthfully, we like tools that let the artist enhance the work that they're doing. But we don't view it as an end means in and of itself."

That said, fans have also criticized a previous Disney project for its usage of AI. In the Disney-owned Marvel Studios show "Secret Invasion," AI was used to produce the backdrops during the credit sequence where its star, Samuel L. Jackson, can be seen morphing into a "Skrull" but in a way that AI-generated art is now known for.

The show's executive producer, Ali Selim, defended the utilization of AI in a statement to Polygon back in June, saying that it was appropriate given the shapeshifting nature of the main antagonists, the Skrulls, in the series.

"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?" Selim shared.

Whatever the case may be, the common consensus within Disney's fanbase is the dislike of AI. Its usage may be regulated in the future, but for now, its utilization will remain a widely contested issue.

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