Days after announcing his involvement in Amazon’s genAI animation initiative, The Book of Life, El Tigre, and Maya and the Three filmmaker Jorge Gutierrez says he is walking away from the program entirely.
In a statement posted to social media on Friday, Gutierrez announced that he will no longer develop the previously announced “Punky Duck” project at Amazon:
I have decided to drop out of the AI program at Amazon. I will not be making a Punky Duck series. Actions speak louder than words.
My intent was to showcase artists, both new and seasoned, both inside and outside the studios, driving this new tech.
My sincerest apology to those I upset. I promise to do better moving forward. Thank you for your patience with me. I will try harder.
Gutierrez’s participation in the initiative triggered immediate backlash when it was first revealed earlier this week. As we previously reported, he initially argued that artists should be involved in shaping how generative AI tools are used in animation rather than rejecting the technology outright.
That explanation did little to calm critics, many of whom viewed the partnership with Amazon as an endorsement of tools that threaten animation jobs and exploit artists’ protected work. The reaction was especially intense given Gutierrez’s reputation as an artist-first creator whose films and series are deeply tied to handcrafted aesthetics and personal storytelling.
Punky Duck was set to be among the first animation projects produced as part of Amazon’s AI ambitions.
Gutierrez has not elaborated on what specifically prompted his decision to leave the program, nor has Amazon yet commented publicly on his departure.
