• Business Business

Nickelodeon faces backlash over feature during broadcast of NFL game: 'Just continues to lower the bar'

"They have to know that most people don't like AI, especially not when they have genuine artists."

"They have to know that most people don't like AI, especially not when they have genuine artists."

Photo Credit: Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon broadcast an unwelcome visitor to the screens of viewers watching an AFC Wild Card Game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Houston Texans, and the internet did not hold back its disdain for what was likely a cheap and polluting scheme.

In the r/spongebob subreddit — a community generally dedicated to positive buzz surrounding the iconic cartoon sponge — a Redditor shared a screenshot from the broadcast in which Nickelodeon superimposed an AI-generated "handsome Squidward" over the TV crowd. 

Other Redditors quickly pointed out the obvious: Nickelodeon's decision to use an AI Squidward likely meant a professional artist lost out on a paying gig. 

Considering that SpongeBob has been a money-making machine for the network — bringing in $16 billion in retail sales alone since it first aired, per Forbes — no one was amused. 

"Imagine being a studio home to one of the longest-running, beloved cartoons and needing to resort to 'art' based on algorithms to do the work for you instead of artists. … Nickelodeon just continues to lower the bar," one commenter wrote

"They have the Mr. Krabs's mindset," another suggested

Watch now: Giant snails invading New York City?

Giant snails invading New York City?
0 seconds of 41 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:41
00:41
 

While most blamed Nickelodeon, others weren't so sure the network was entirely at fault, speculating that the NFL — a multibillion-dollar money-maker in its own right — influenced the choice or made the call

Regardless of which party (or parties) greenlit AI Squidward, it's difficult to ignore the possible long-term implications. In addition to taking jobs from creative professionals and fostering a worse, less authentic viewing experience, AI significantly drains Earth's resources, with even small data centers consuming millions of liters of water every year. 

What's more, per Nature, a generative AI search uses four to five times more energy than a conventional query. Dirty fuels still produce much of that power, releasing toxic fumes into the atmosphere that exacerbate health problems such as asthma and dangerously warm the planet.

Do you think kids spend too much time in front of screens?

Yes — it's rotting their brains 🧠

No — screens are the future 💻

There should be a good balance ⚖️

No idea — I don't have kids 🤷

Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

One Redditor took a more measured approach in their criticism of Nickelodeon, suggesting that there's a "right place and time" to use AI. Indeed, scientists believe the technology could help maximize crop yields and save lives by improving weather forecasting.

However, the Redditor felt Nickelodeon could have done better than AI Squidward. "The fact that a company that's known for their art is not simply using their artists is wild," they said.

Another user wrote, "I'm going to assume that this is just a testing the water type of thing … but they have to know that most people don't like AI, especially not when they have genuine artists."

Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.


Cool Divider