MrBeast finds out creators aren’t ready for AI thumbnails

When MrBeast introduced AI-generated thumbnails to his ViewStats platform, he intended to launch a tool that “takes the guesswork” out of video performance. What he didn’t intend was to light an internet firestorm — but that’s exactly what happened.

After enduring days of criticism from his fellow creators and numerous other social media users, MrBeast decided to take the AI thumbnail tool back offline. The intense backlash against the product shows that the creator world is still resistant to generative AI, even if some top stars choose to embrace it.

MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, worked with longtime collaborator Chucky Appleby to launch ViewStats in 2023. The platform lets users apply Donaldson’s data-driven approach to their own videos by equipping them with the same data sets that inform MrBeast-related decisions.

The early response to ViewStats was mostly positive, but the reception took a negative turn after Donaldson tweeted about the AI thumbnail tool on June 20. Blowback was swift and widespread; Donaldson’s detractors included veteran gaming YouTuber Jacksepticeye and streamer PointCrow.

Critics argued that the model generating the AI thumbnails had clearly been trained on creator videos. That particular subject is currently a touchy one, with many creators calling on tech companies to implement stronger protections against unauthorized training.

“I spend days, weeks, sometimes months thinking of thumbnails, working with artists to craft the perfect one — and you’ve made something that can steal my (and my artists) hard work without a thought,” PointCrow tweeted. “Your model is clearly trained on all our thumbnails and uses them without any creators’ permission, and makes it not only easy, but it attempts to make this socially acceptable too.”

Many complaints focused on the tool’s ability to draw “inspiration” from certain creators’ iconography. After reportedly conversing with both Jacksepticeye and PointCrow, Donaldson vowed to make changes to the controversial feature.

That update arrived on June 26, when Donaldson announced in a video on X that he would pull the AI thumbnail tool from ViewStats. The most-subscribed YouTuber remarked that he “thought people were going to be pretty excited about it,” but he acknowledged that the tool “fundamentally hurts creators as a whole.”

MrBeast has himself criticized some uses of generative AI, such as deepfake scams, but those qualms have not stopped him from using the technology himself. He lent his likeness to one of Meta’s AI chatbots in 2023.

Interestingly enough, Donaldson has also taken steps to support human thumbnail artists. He has helped strategists get a better understanding of the emotions that perform well in thumbnails, and he supported the education of creator economy professions — including thumbnail artists — through a partnership with East Carolina University. After removing the AI thumbnail tool from ViewStats, Donaldson said he would replace it with resources that put users in contact with thumbnail designers.

The unprecedented growth of the MrBeast brand has created novel challenges for Donaldson to face, and the response to his AI thumbnail tool is just the latest example. Building a $5 billion company requires a lot of new products, but some innovations might need to be left in the MrBeast lab for now.