Prominent filmmaking creators Matti Haapoja and Sam Kolder posted videos demonstrating the Higgsfield AI platform and its Seedance 2.5 functionality. The creators pitched these technologies as the future of video production. Other creators soon shared screenshots of partnership offers from PR firms working for Higgsfield. Fans concluded that Higgsfield used creators to boost its profile. Followers criticized Haapoja and Kolder for working with the company. The videos lacked ad labels, and neither creators nor Higgsfield responded to questions about paid partnerships.
Haapoja framed Higgsfield as an innovative tool and explained how the feature-length film Cully Hill Boys used AI-generated duplicates of YouTubers Mikyle N3on Rafiq and Matt Kiatipis. Kolder shared a fictionalized narrative exploring Mauritania with a robot. Both videos blended real footage with uncanny AI imagery.
Marques Brownlee criticized Haapoja for comparing generative AI to the Canon EOS 5D Mark II. Brownlee noted that unlike a physical camera, generative AI is trained on human material without credit. Kolder received mixed comments on YouTube, ranging from praise to criticism from viewers arguing that AI cannot replace creative artists.
Kolder included an affiliate link offering a thirty percent discount on an annual Higgsfield subscription. These cases show the risks when creators endorse products that alienate their audiences. OpenAI faced similar backlash earlier this month after hosting influencers at a New York resort. Creators rely on trust and shared beliefs, making AI endorsements a risky bargain.
Neither Haapoja nor Higgsfield responded to The Verge about whether the videos were paid partnerships.
