‘Loki’ Season 2’s Promo Poster Reportedly Used Generative AI

Loki‘s season 2 promotional poster raised eyebrows when it was released on Marvel Studios’ X (formerly Twitter) account. The posters released for Loki season 2 were initially praised until one illustrator on X detected the use of generative AI (GenAI). The poster in question features Tom Hiddleston in the middle of a spiraling road, with an antique clock face in the background. It’s been alleged that the clock in the background was taken from Shutterstock, which has been integrating AI into its platform since October 2022. Although Shutterstock did not flag the image as AI-generated, users say that certain signs point to the use of GenAI.

These telltale signs of generative AI include the numbers on the clock. The Roman numeral for the number 4 was drawn as “IIII” instead of “IV.”

Some have argued, however, that there are old clocks that do, in fact, use “IIII” instead of the proper “IV.” Other than the true-to-life comparisons, some also suggested that the contents in the promotional poster could just be heavily photoshopped. Another preview poster was decried by fans because it made Tom Hiddleston look unnatural, which also drew in AI allegations.

Disney has not responded to any of the AI accusations leveraged by many fans and X users, and some have come to the defense of Disney to claim that the clock used behind the poster is not AI-generated. Regardless, many fans are expressing discontent with AI-generated content and are trying to sniff out any use of the tool in posters and the production itself. This is not the first time Disney and Marvel have been accused of using AI, and it was even confirmed that Secret Invasion’s opening credits were made with the use of Artificial Intelligence.

Big companies using AI-generated images for promotional purposes has become a bigger issue in recent months—and it’s not just limited to Marvel Studios. Publishers, too, have been caught utilizing GenAI for book covers. Bloomsbury featured AI “art” on the cover a novel by bestseller Sarah J Maas, and Tor Books was found to be using licensed stock art that turned out to be AI-generated for the cover of a novel by Christopher Paolini. As artists continue to fight for their livelihoods in the face of GenAI, situations like this become all the more infuriating.

(feature image: Disney+)