Jorge R. Gutierrez is pulling the plug on AI animated series “Punky Duck” after facing backlash online for its use of the controversial new technology.“Punky Duck” was announced on Wednesday as part of the GenAI Creators’ Fund, a joint initiative between Amazon MGM Studios and Amazon Web Services that gives creators access to professional-grade AI tools and funding to produce cinematic entertainment. BuzzFeed Studios’ “Cupcake & Friends” and Albie Hecht’s “Love, Diana Music Hunters” were also announced as part of the initiative.Gutierrez enthusiastically promoted the project at the fourth annual AI on the Lot conference in Culver City, which drew more than 2,400 attendees.Speaking Wednesday on the Amazon/MGM Studios lot on a panel titled “Empowering Creativity: How Amazon MGM Studios Uses AI to Help Filmmakers Realize Their Visions,” the director screened a brief clip featuring the titular duck with a red-and-green Mohawk and described the speed of the production process in vivid terms.“The best way I can describe it is, it’s like you have sex, and then someone hands you the baby,” Gutierrez told the audience of filmmakers, startup founders and industry executives. “It’s pretty crazy.”Gutierrez said the project had gone from inception to a green light in a matter of months rather than years, describing the experience as life-changing.Though he acknowledged that he and his team initially were “terrified” of the technology, Gutierrez argued that AI could help creators take more risks at a time when studios have become increasingly reliant on established franchises and sequels.“The most rebellious punk rock thing you can do now is to make something this fast,” he said. “I’m kind of excited about the possibilities of taking this new thing and doing things that we could never do with previous tools.”At the same time, Gutierrez emphasized that “the secret sauce is humans.”“The more it comes from a human being, the more human it is,” he said.Fans immediately took to social media to critique the “Book of Life” creator, sharing their disappointment. Many pointed out how the tool is actively reshaping traditional Hollywood jobs, from storyboarding to production design, raising concerns over creative control.In response, Gutierrez uploaded a screenshot to Instagram that same day featuring news articles by Variety and the Hollywood Reporter with a caption addressing the collaboration: “I understand a lot of you are happy for me and a lot of you are really angry at me for experimenting with AI at Amazon. I’m going to leave the comments open so you can get it all out and hopefully feel better.”Gutierrez also warned that any death threats will be reported, as well as threats to his family. The post has since been deleted. In a subsequent Instagram post — which was also deleted — Gutierrez shared a screenshot that showed edits to his Wikipedia page, where he is described as a “sellout.” Gutierrez captioned his Instagram: “Whoever did this I thought it was really funny!”On Friday morning, Gutierrez announced his decision to ax the project.“I have decided to drop out of the AI program at Amazon. I will not be making a Punky Duck series. Actions speak louder than words,” Gutierrez shared on X. “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.” The Mexican creator is behind Nickelodeon’s “El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera” and Netflix’s “Maya and the Three.” He is also currently developing the long-awaited Speedy Gonzales film with Warner Bros. Pictures Animation.It took over a decade for Gutierrez to get approval for his 2014 film “The Book of Life,” a beloved storybook animation about the Day of the Dead. After multiple rejections from top animation studios, it was eventually produced by Mexican director Guillermo del Toro — a staunch critic of AI, who described its use as “sharting” at a party to The Times late last year. By comparison, “Punky Duck,” was greenlighted in two months, according to Cartoon Brew.In a Wednesday statement to The Times, Gutierrez said he was “cautiously optimistic” about his collaboration with Amazon MGM Studios: “Artists driving tech, and not the other way around, is my goal.” “It’s a big experiment for me, and like all experiments it might not work, and I will be as cautious and ethical as possible with AI,” he said. Gutierrez had been critical of AI in the past, expressing distaste for the tool through a series of cheeky memes shared in 2023, 2024 and 2025. Last year, he referred to the nascent technology as a “mutant AI cockroach.” Times staff writer Josh Rottenberg contributed to this report.
