Latest news with #Viewstats
NDTV
a day ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
MrBeast Removes AI Thumbnail Tool After Backlash: "I Thought People Were..."
YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, more popularly known as MrBeast, has removed a YouTube thumbnail generator that used artificial intelligence (AI) after receiving intense backlash from creators and fans alike. The world's most-subscribed YouTuber admitted that he had "missed the mark" after his contemporaries pointed out that the tool was stealing work from human creators. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), MrBeast said he had removed the tool from his YouTube analytics platform, Viewstats and that he would replace it with links to human artists available for commission. "Hey! Thanks for all your feedback on the ViewStats AI thumbnail tool, we pulled it and added a funnel for creators to find real thumbnail artists to commission," wrote MrBeast. MrBeast acknowledged the feedback, stating he previously thought that the tool would be well-received within the community. "I thought people were going to be pretty excited about it, but I definitely missed the mark. If you opened up Twitter, you know what I'm talking about. I read all your feedback and going forward there is no AI thumbnail tool, we pulled it down, said MrBeast. "On top of that, I wanted to go one step further to really show artists out there that I care... on under our 'More Tools' section, it will say hire a thumbnail artist." He said his goal with Viewstats had been to build tools to help creators, "but if creators don't want the tools, no worries". "I care more than any of you could ever imagine about the YouTube community. Obviously I'm the biggest YouTuber in the world and I don't take that responsibility lightly and so it deeply makes me sad when I do something that people in the community are upset by." MrBeast released the AI tool last week that allowed users to create eye-catching thumbnails instantly by "taking the guesswork out" for $80 per month subscription fee. Hey! Thanks for all your feedback on the ViewStats AI thumbnail tool, we pulled it and added a funnel for creators to find real thumbnail artists to commission — MrBeast (@MrBeast) June 27, 2025 Social media reacts After the pullback, social media users lauded MrBeast for listening to their grievances and taking action. "Hey Jimmy. I appreciate you looking at this objectively and realising how with you being the biggest creator on the platform, you can unintentionally set a precedent that can affect the industry as a whole," said one user while another added: "Big respect for taking it down despite whatever it cost to develop. I do hope you'll consider looking at the issue more closely." A third commented: "Thank you for reaching down to help smaller creators, Jimmy." The US YouTuber has more than 385 million subscribers on the site and is thought to be its highest-paid creator.
Business Insider
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
MrBeast is killing his video thumbnail generator after creators revolted — but it won't stop the AI tide
MrBeast is shuttering an AI thumbnail generator after backlash from the creator community. YouTube's biggest star was receptive to criticism from his peers. Will Meta, TikTok, or YouTube listen if their AI tools spark similar outrage? The feature allowed users to generate video thumbnails by mimicking aspects of existing video art, including swapping in faces and other modifications. "You've made something that can steal my (and my artists) hard work without a thought," Twitch and YouTube streamer PointCrow (Eric Morino) wrote on X. Now, MrBeast is backpedaling. In a video posted Thursday, he said he's killing the AI feature and instead directing users of his Viewstats platform to hire human designers. "I care more than any of you could ever imagine about the YouTube community," he said. "It deeply makes me sad when I do something that people in the community are upset by." The backlash to MrBeast's tool shows the tightrope walk that companies must navigate when introducing AI features for creators. There's a fine line between automating work to help influencers save time, and offering shortcuts that creators view as displacing or stealing their work. AI is coming hard for creators MrBeast's thumbnail generator is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to disruptive AI tech hitting the creator community. Meta, TikTok, and YouTube are all marching forward with AI tools that will change how videos are made, and what ultimately gets watched. And I'd wager they're going to be less receptive than MrBeast to backlash. TikTok users can now turn static photos into AI-generated videos, and YouTube is planning to bring its AI video generator tool Veo 3 to Shorts this summer. If Veo 3 is good enough to produce a TV commercial, it's likely to make a big splash on YouTube. YouTube CEO Neal Mohan said earlier this month that he's "incredibly excited by the potential of AI tools to empower human creativity." You'd be hard pressed to find a creator platform that's not getting overrun with AI these days. Pinterest users are finding AI images are taking over their grid, and music streamer Deezer recently revealed that 18% of all new songs uploaded to its platform are fully AI-generated. There's even a wave of startups helping users automate the entire process of creating and uploading videos to TikTok. Creators can rage against MrBeast, but the biggest players in generative AI are racing ahead. Even as MrBeast has shuttered his short-lived AI thumbnail generator, it's still incredibly easy for creators to generate thumbnails using other AI tools from the likes of OpenAI and Midjourney.
Business Insider
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
MrBeast is killing his video thumbnail generator after creators revolted — but it won't stop the AI tide
MrBeast, the world's top YouTuber, is shutting down an AI thumbnail generator he released last week after receiving heavy criticism from the creator community. The feature allowed users to generate video thumbnails by mimicking aspects of existing video art, including swapping in faces and other modifications. "You've made something that can steal my (and my artists) hard work without a thought," Twitch and YouTube streamer PointCrow (Eric Morino) wrote on X. Now, MrBeast is backpedaling. In a video posted Thursday, he said he's killing the AI feature and instead directing users of his Viewstats platform to hire human designers. "I care more than any of you could ever imagine about the YouTube community," he said. "It deeply makes me sad when I do something that people in the community are upset by." The backlash to MrBeast's tool shows the tightrope walk that companies must navigate when introducing AI features for creators. There's a fine line between automating work to help influencers save time, and offering shortcuts that creators view as displacing or stealing their work. AI is coming hard for creators MrBeast's thumbnail generator is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to disruptive AI tech hitting the creator community. Meta, TikTok, and YouTube are all marching forward with AI tools that will change how videos are made, and what ultimately gets watched. And I'd wager they're going to be less receptive than MrBeast to backlash. TikTok users can now turn static photos into AI-generated videos, and YouTube is planning to bring its AI video generator tool Veo 3 to Shorts this summer. If Veo 3 is good enough to produce a TV commercial, it's likely to make a big splash on YouTube. YouTube CEO Neal Mohan said earlier this month that he's "incredibly excited by the potential of AI tools to empower human creativity." You'd be hard pressed to find a creator platform that's not getting overrun with AI these days. Pinterest users are finding AI images are taking over their grid, and music streamer Deezer recently revealed that 18% of all new songs uploaded to its platform are fully AI-generated. There's even a wave of startups helping users automate the entire process of creating and uploading videos to TikTok. Creators can rage against MrBeast, but the biggest players in generative AI are racing ahead. Even as MrBeast has shuttered his short-lived AI thumbnail generator, it's still incredibly easy for creators to generate thumbnails using other AI tools from the likes of OpenAI and Midjourney. MrBeast described his AI thumbnail tool at launch as "the future of YouTube thumbnails" in a since-deleted video. He was probably right.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
MrBeast removes AI thumbnail generator tool: ‘I definitely missed the mark…'
MrBeast has removed an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered thumbnail generator from his analytics platform, Viewstats, after facing significant criticism from fellow creators who alleged the tool 'steals' their work. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The world's most-subscribed YouTuber, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, launched the tool with the stated intention 'to help smaller creators make better thumbnails.' However, he later admitted on X that he had 'missed the mark' after other high-profile YouTubers voiced strong opposition. 'A week ago, I launched AI thumbnail tool to help small creators make better thumbnails, and I thought people were going to be pretty excited about it. But, I definitely missed the mark,' said MrBeast, who has over 385 million subscribers. 'If you open up Twitter, you know what I'm talking about, and I read all your guys's feedback, and I've been thinking a lot about it, and so we just enacted some changes that I think you guys will find positive, and so going forward, there is no AI thumbnail tool,' he added. Fellow YouTubers allege that MrBeast's AI tool 'steals' work One vocal critic, PointCrow (Eric Morino), accused MrBeast of creating 'something that can steal.. . hard work without a thought,' suggesting the AI model was 'clearly trained on all our thumbnails and uses them without any creator's permission.' While acknowledging the positive intent of making content creation more accessible, Morino argued the tool 'fundamentally hurts creators as a whole', as per BBC. MrBeast quickly acknowledged the feedback, expressing his commitment to the YouTube community. "I care more than any of you could ever imagine about the YouTube community," he posted on X. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 'Obviously I'm the biggest YouTuber in the world and I don't take that responsibility lightly and so it deeply makes me sad when I do something that people in the community are upset by,' he added. He confirmed the tool's removal from Viewstats and announced it would be replaced with links to human artists available for commission, aiming to support the very community he sought to help. 'My goal here is to build tools to help creators, and if creators don't want the tools, no worries. Like, it's not that big of a deal. So, if you're an artist, go over to Viewstats. And, make some extra money,' he said. The tool, advertised for an $80 monthly subscription, allowed users to insert themselves into existing thumbnails and even recreate the work of other creators.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
MrBeast removes controversial AI thumbnail tool just five days after launch following severe backlash
(Image via X/@MrBeast) In classic internet whiplash fashion, MrBeast launched a flashy new AI tool on June 22, 2025, and killed it just five days later. What was supposed to be a game-changing tool for YouTubers quickly turned into a PR nightmare. Backlash hit hard, creators were fuming, and now, the biggest YouTuber in the world is walking it all back. The AI Tool That Backfired Fast So here's the tea: MrBeast, through his creator-assist platform Viewstats , dropped an AI thumbnail generator to help smaller YouTubers make click-worthy thumbnails. It promised 'plug in a prompt, get viral-worthy images,' and even let users insert their own faces over popular creators. — FocusedSloth (@FocusedSloth) Almost instantly, the internet came for him. The biggest red flag? The tool allegedly lets users replicate real creators' content and branding without their permission. JackSepticEye was one of the first to rage, calling out the use of his logo. Fans and creators alike started slamming the tool for being exploitative and anti-artist. Gone in Five Days By June 27, just five days after launch, MrBeast posted a video on X (formerly Twitter) saying, 'I thought people were gonna be pretty excited about it. I definitely missed the mark.' That's when he officially shut down the tool and removed all promo materials. Instead of defending the idea, he acknowledged the feedback, owned the misstep, and promised change. 'Going forward, there is no AI thumbnail tool,' he stated. Now, if you go to the Viewstats site, you're no longer met with AI-generated thumbnails—you're redirected to a page featuring real thumbnail artists for hire. MrBeast Responds and Pulls the Plug To his credit, MrBeast didn't double down or make excuses. He apologized, clarified that none of his in-house thumbnail team would be replaced by AI, and emphasized his respect for the creative community. 'I care more than any of you could imagine about the YouTube community,' he said. 'And I don't take that responsibility lightly.' Instead of defending the AI tool, he used the moment to uplift human creators, almost turning the backlash into a way to promote actual artist work. Respect. What's Next? This whole situation is a textbook example of how even the biggest internet celebs can fumble, and how fast the creator community reacts when something feels off. While AI tools are popping up left and right, this was a reminder: there's a fine line between helpful tech and crossing ethical lines . MrBeast may have messed up, but he pulled back fast, took accountability, and tried to make it right. Will the internet forgive him? Probably. But next time, maybe test the waters before diving in headfirst with a paid tool that uses other creators' content. In the world of YouTube, respect for the grind still matters. Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
