Prominent YouTube creators Matti Haapoja and Sam “Kold” Kolder posted videos demonstrating Higgsfield’s Seedance 2.5 AI video tool, prompting criticism that the content resembled paid promotion. Fans shared screenshots of partnership offers from PR firms representing Higgsfield, leading to public backlash.

Higgsfield added Seedance 2.5 functionality to its platform, emphasizing AI capabilities for video production. Both creators described the tool in a style resembling an infomercial; Haapoja referenced a film starring AI‑generated replicas of other YouTubers and showed AI‑manipulated footage of himself in sci‑fi settings. Kolder’s video, titled “AI is replacing me,” combined his production background with a fictional narrative involving a robot in Mauritania, mixing real footage with AI‑generated imagery. Neither video included a disclosure of compensation, and The Verge did not receive comment from the creators. Higgsfield’s PR manager Nuray Omarkhan later stated that the creators received a negotiated mix of monetary payment and platform credits.

Reactions were mixed. On Threads, Haapoja faced criticism, and Marques Brownlee compared the AI tool to the Canon EOS 5D Mark II, noting that generative AI uses human‑made material without credit. Kolder’s YouTube comments included both positive remarks and concerns that AI could replace creative artists. The negative response to Haapoja’s video was louder than reactions to other Higgsfield creator collaborations. Cully Hill Boys, a film created with AI‑generated actors, debuted with limited fanfare and received a split of support and criticism, though the backlash primarily targeted the creators rather than the film itself.

Haapoja’s and Kolder’s posts appeared to serve as sponsored advertising intended to generate goodwill for Higgsfield, with Kolder’s caption containing an affiliate link offering a discount on a Higgsfield subscription. The episode illustrates the risks creators face when endorsing AI technologies amid mixed public opinion and underscores the debate over transparency and compensation in creator‑brand partnerships.