# YouTube Creators Matti Haapoja and Sam Kolder Face Backlash for Unlabeled Higgsfield AI Promotions

_General · published 2026-08-21_

Prominent filmmaking YouTubers Matti Haapoja and Sam Kolder have drawn significant fan backlash after posting videos showcasing Higgsfield's AI video generation platform and its Seedance 2.5 feature. Neither video was labeled as an advertisement, and screenshots circulating online appeared to show partnership offers sent by PR firms acting on Higgsfield's behalf, leading audiences to conclude the posts were undisclosed paid promotions. Neither creator nor Higgsfield responded to questions from The Verge about the nature of the arrangements.

The controversy sparked a broader debate about creator credibility and generative AI. Marques Brownlee publicly pushed back on Haapoja's comparison of AI video tools to the Canon EOS 5D Mark II, arguing that unlike that camera, generative AI is trained on human-made material without credit. Reaction to Kolder's video was more mixed, but criticism of both creators reflects growing audience sensitivity around undisclosed AI brand deals and the perceived endorsement of technology many viewers see as threatening to human creative labor.

## Sources
- [theverge.com](https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/983181/matti-haapoja-sam-kold-kolder-higgsfield-seedance-backlash)
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