YouTube Creators Face Backlash Over AI Sponsorships
Filmmakers Matti Haapoja and Sam “Kold” Kolder are facing criticism after promoting Higgsfield’s new Seedance 2.5 AI video tools. Their videos looked like advertisements, but neither was initially labeled as sponsored content.
The backlash intensified after Higgsfield confirmed that both creators were compensated with money and platform credits. Critics also questioned AI’s use of human-made creative work without clear credit or compensation.
The controversy shows why AI sponsorships can be especially risky for creators. Their audiences follow them for human creativity, so promoting tools that could replace parts of that creative process can quickly damage trust.
