Viral AI Animation 'Smooth Operator' Draws Criticism Over Familiar-Looking Characters
Viewers spotted the AI-made short by its clashing art styles, and one asked whether a boy in it was Ben from Cartoon Saloon's Song of the Sea.
Published
Last updated / Fact-checked on
An AI-generated animation called "Smooth Operator," posted to X on September 26 by the creator Antrofrog, went viral and drew criticism for a clashing mix of art styles and character designs some viewers said looked copied, Creative Bloq reported on September 28. One commenter asked whether a boy in it was Ben from the 2014 film Song of the Sea.
Photo: dansamu / Pixabay
Creative Bloq writer Natalie Fear said the criticism reflects ongoing hostility toward AI in animation, driven by concerns over job security and copyright.
The controversy at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Work | "Smooth Operator," AI-generated animation |
| Creator | Antrofrog, via X |
| Posted | September 26, 2026 |
| Soundtrack | Sade's "Smooth Operator" |
| Main criticism | Mixed styles, familiar-looking designs, weak story |
| Film cited by viewers | Song of the Sea (Cartoon Saloon, 2014) |
Sources: Creative Bloq; Cartoon Saloon.
What the animation shows
Set to Sade's "Smooth Operator," the short follows a tall, umbrella-wielding man around a city, Creative Bloq reported. As he passes, he "sets the world to rights," saving falling plant pots from windows and rescuing cats from trees with straight-faced nonchalance.
Creative Bloq called it playful and unassuming at first glance. A closer look, it said, reveals cracks.
The first is style. The protagonist "feels like an anime villain who fell into a classic Disney movie," Fear wrote, while background characters mix children's book illustrations with vintage New Yorker cartoons. That clash gave the piece a disjointed feel, and audiences soon concluded it was AI-made.
"Is that Ben from Song of the Sea?"
Some critics went further and said the character designs appeared stolen. "Is that Ben from Song of the Sea?" one commenter wrote, pointing to a young boy holding an ice cream, according to Creative Bloq.
Ben is a lead character in Song of the Sea, an animated feature from the Irish studio Cartoon Saloon. The studio's film page says it tells the story of Ben and his little sister Saoirse, "the last Seal-child," on a journey to return to their home by the sea. It draws on the Selkies of Irish folklore.
The film was directed by Tomm Moore, according to Cartoon Saloon. Its voice cast includes Brendan Gleeson, Fionnula Flanagan, David Rawle and Lisa Hannigan.
DailyMech found no report that Cartoon Saloon has commented on the animation or taken any action. The resemblance is a viewer's claim, not an established finding.
Criticism of the story
Viewers also took aim at the plot. Creative Bloq noted that a "robber" has his bag taken and given to an old lady who already has one. The hero spins a scooter-riding child into the road and desecrates a stranger's painting.
"I think the biggest missed opportunity is not ending on the punchline that the umbrella is damaged, thus useless in the rain," one X user wrote. "Absolute lack of base-level storytelling."
Another response focused on how AI changes the way audiences watch. "The tragedy of AI art isn't even that it looks bad; it's that it forces you to become a sceptic," one X user wrote. Once viewers wonder whether a gesture or pause was intentional, "the immersion dies, the magic disappears," they added.
Why it matters
For creators and studios, the episode shows how quickly viewers now examine AI work for borrowed designs. Spotting a likeness to a specific film character turns a style debate into a question about training data and copying.
Creative Bloq framed the larger question as whether prompt-based artwork "can ever share the stage equally with human-made art" as the tools grow more refined and accessible.
What to watch
- Studio responses. Whether Cartoon Saloon or other studios address AI works that resemble their characters.
- Platform labeling. Whether X and other platforms flag AI-generated animation more clearly.
- Creator disclosure. Whether Antrofrog or others share which tools and inputs they used.
More coverage is on our Artificial Intelligence hub.
How we reported this
We read Creative Bloq's report in full and verified each quote against it, and confirmed film details on Cartoon Saloon's own page. We did not view the original X post. We found no source reporting a takedown or a comment from Cartoon Saloon, and we do not cite a view count because no reliable source gives one.
Published and fact-checked November 2, 2026.
Sources
- Creative Bloq, Natalie Fear, "Viral AI animation sparks controversy over familiar character design," Sept. 28, 2026: https://www.creativebloq.com/art/animation/viral-ai-animation-sparks-controversy-over-familiar-character-design
- Cartoon Saloon, Song of the Sea: https://www.cartoonsaloon.ie/irish-animation-studio/feature-films/song-of-the-sea/
DailyMech used AI tools to help research and draft this article; it was fact-checked by our editors.