A startup boasting about AI-driven job losses quickly learned a valuable lesson about public relations. Higgsfield.ai, which offers AI video creation tools, recently sparked outrage after claiming its technology had displaced more than 20 creative professionals.
Earlier this week, the company shared on X that its AI motion design tool had contributed to the end of over 20 creative jobs.
The artists who use-and are acutely aware of the impact of AI on the creative landscape-were understandably upset. The resulting backlash on social media prompted the company to remove the post.
“Seems like Higgsfield found out today that there are lines they just shouldn’t cross in their marketing,” wrote aharon Rabinowitz,CEO of Motion Management,in a social media post. “Celebrating the end of artists’ careers (even when their motion design tools are not actually good enough to render anyone unemployed) is just super dumb and shortsighted.”
The company’s marketing practices and the actual functionality of its services have been under scrutiny for months. Online critics have leveled several accusations against Higgsfield, including:
- Bait-and-switch marketing, promising unlimited access to tools like Google’s Nano Banana Pro, followed by account bans.
- Undisclosed astroturfing-posting fake positive reviews-to counter negative feedback online.
- Predatory billing practices.
- Deceptive and explicit marketing materials.
As one online critic put it, “Higgsfield AI: A Company Built on Rage Bait Content, Stolen Likenesses, and Sexual Exploitation.” Another has accused higgsfield of commissioning customers to create marketing content using unlicensed intellectual property, potentially shifting liability for copyright infringement.
Higgsfield did not respond to requests for comment. An email sent to the company’s press contact, as listed in previous fundraising announcements, bounced back.A message to the company’s support email indicated a response was forthcoming, but no one followed up.
The Register also reached out to Menlo Ventures, one of Higgsfield’s investors, for comment. A spokesperson for the venture capital firm declined to comment directly but provided a media contact who has yet to respond.
ian Hudson, a UK-based software tester and video maker, discussed the backlash against Higgsfield with The Register in a phone interview.
“The problem seems to be that they aren’t really providing much of a service themselves, and it appears their website is largely a wrapper for other services,” Hudson explained.”They’re making API calls to google for Related
