Amazon builds AI series around Loryn Brantz's character without her consent

Amazon is preparing to launch a TV series about the character "Good Advice Cupcake" using AI animation. The problem: the character's original creator, Loryn Brantz, did not consent to its use and has expressed her displeasure with the decision.

The story of a character its creator no longer controls

Loryn Brantz created "Good Advice Cupcake" for BuzzFeed several years ago. It was a funny, endearing character: a cupcake with eyes that gave advice in a simple, accessible way. Its style stood out: simple, positive advice that resonated with a young audience. The character became popular with fans and turned into a signature of the outlet. Brantz put her creative work, her vision and her sense of humor into it.

But there is one big catch: BuzzFeed has always owned the rights to the character and its intellectual property. This is a typical arrangement in media companies: a content creator works for hire, and all rights to the work pass to the publisher. Brantz accepted those terms at the time, but she did not expect the character would one day be used in entirely new projects without her knowledge.

How Amazon acquired the character

Amazon licensed the character and all its copyrights from BuzzFeed to create a new TV project. It was a business decision between two large companies. BuzzFeed got paid for the license, and Amazon got a ready-made character with an audience. The company decided to invest in developing this content and extend it to the television market.

Instead of traditional animation, which requires large teams of artists and animators, Amazon decided to use AI tools to produce the series. It is a cheaper and faster way to make content. Why hire dozens of people for two years if AI can produce an animated series in a few months? The business logic is clear. The logic from the standpoint of creativity and an author's dignity is entirely different.

How the creator found out about her own character

Loryn Brantz learned about the new TV project at about the same time as the rest of the world, through Amazon's official announcements. As the original creator, she was not even informed before the announcement went public. On X she expressed her outrage:

• The character was created by her personally, an embodiment of her talent
• She learned about the project as an ordinary member of the public, not as the creator
• AI animation was used without her consent to that method of production
• Her voice as an author was not heard during development
• Her authorial dignity and her right to recognition were violated

Brantz's position and the question of copyright

Loryn Brantz has sharply protested Amazon's decision. Her outrage concerns not only the use of the character without her consent, but also the use of AI animation for the project itself. She believes this violates her authorial dignity and disregards both her work and her vision for the character.

"My character is being used without my consent, and I found out from the internet.

It is humiliating and wrong."

Brantz stressed that if a company wants to use someone else's original character, it should at a minimum notify the creator and hear their opinion.

What this means for creators in the AI era

This conflict raises a pressing question about copyright protection in the AI era. Legally, BuzzFeed has the right to use the character as it sees fit, because it owns it. But ethically, the original creator deserves respect and a hearing. When a company owns the rights, it can use them however it wants, but that does not mean the author's contribution should be ignored entirely.

The situation shows that the industry needs new approaches: fairer contracts that protect a creator's right to take part in the fate of their character.