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YouTube creators face backlash for promoting Higgsfield AI without ad disclosures
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Filmmaking creators Matti Haapoja and Sam "Kold" Kolder posted videos demonstrating Higgsfield's Seedance 2.5 AI functionality that appeared to be sponsored content but were not labeled as ads, prompting criticism from fans and fellow creators alike.
The backlash demonstrates that creator partnerships with AI companies carry reputational risks that go beyond typical sponsorship controversies, because the products themselves are contested on ethical grounds. When creators present AI tools trained on uncredited human work as equivalent to traditional filmmaking equipment, they alienate audiences who see a values conflict rather than a tool choice.
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Haapoja and Kolder produced videos promoting Higgsfield's Seedance 2.5 that functioned as advertisements but carried no sponsorship disclosure, and Kolder's caption included what appears to be an affiliate link offering a 30 percent discount on an annual Higgsfield subscription.
Marques Brownlee publicly challenged Haapoja's comparison of generative AI to the Canon EOS 5D Mark II, arguing that unlike a camera people had to learn, AI is "trained on real human-made material without any credit."
The backlash against Haapoja and Kolder was louder than reactions to Higgsfield's earlier creator collaborations, including the AI-generated film Cully Hill Boys, suggesting that perceived advocacy without disclosure amplifies audience hostility.
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