Viral Disney Pixar character TikTok filter faces backlash for alleged discrimination

By Charlie Sawyer

Published Oct 7, 2024 at 12:18 PM

Reading time: 2 minutes

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Who doesn’t love a TikTok filter? Being able to beautify myself one second and change my voice the next is objectively a fun time. That being said, social media filters have a tendency to go wrong. Doesanyone remember the time a Peter Griffin filter glitched and showed users a random man flashing as opposed to the Family Guy character? Well, the filter currently gripping the video-sharing platform is all about using AI-generated technology to allow netizens to re-imagine themselves as Disney Pixar characters. Thing is, it’s become clear that the AI trend is inherently problematic.

The Disney Pixar filter currently has 85.5 million associated posts on TikTok and encourages users to embrace their inner Disney character. So far, the trend has been predominantly used by heterosexual couples:

@capcutgetviral

FOREVER WITH YOU👴🏼👵🏽wie cute ist das bitte? #disneyfilter #forevertemplate #disneytemplate #disneyvorlage #disneyhochzeitsfilter #foreverwithyou #gradparents #grandma #grandpa #aitemplaze #aidisney #kifilter #omaundopa #oma #opa #grannyfilter #disneygrandparents #disneyfilter #CapCut

♬ Originalton - capcut templates
@samjukes97

wrong eye colours but god its cute 🥹🫶🏻 #couple #pixar #pixaraifilter #pixaraitrend #fyp #engagedtiktok

♬ som original - Dri

Turning furry friends into cute Pixar pets has also been a popular option:

@blueygrogucat

If Bluey was a Disney cat. #efeito3d #Multiaverso #disney #disneyfilter #disneycat #cat #whitecat #cat #catlovers #catsoftiktok #cattok

♬ som original - Dri
@hettiethesausage

The filter worked so well! Disney Hettie 🥺

♬ som original - Dri

Adorable, right? The problem, however, began to set in when influencer and content creator @cammie.scott attempted to use the filter on pictures of herself and her wife Taryn. But, before I get into all of the details, let’s quickly run through exactly how the filter works.

How to do the AI Disney Pixar trend on TikTok

To do the AI Disney Pixar trend you first need to select a clear and well-lit portrait image of either yourself or someone else. This picture must be front-facing and clearly show your face.

Next up is choosing an AI image creator, Bing tends to be an incredibly popular option. Then, you simply need to upload your desired image and input prompts that guide the AI to create an illustration in a Pixar style. Download the finished picture and share it on TikTok!

@lifewith.sr

Replying to @madsx How to do the pixar trend - desi version #CapCut #alhamdulillah #bingimagecreator #desipixar #indiananimation #disneypixar #weddingtiktok #bengaliwedding #desiwedding #desidisney #howto

♬ original sound - ᴄʜᴀɴᴜᴅᴀ ᴅɪᴍᴀɴᴛʜᴀ

There are also other sites and platforms you can use, so make sure to have a look online and see which option best suits you.

Why is the AI Disney Pixar filter on TikTok problematic?

The reason why the AI Disney Pixar filter has been getting quite a lot of attention recently is because, while the filter works seamlessly for some couples, it doesn’t exactly work for everyone. Specifically, one creator pointed out a pretty homophobic oversight.

TikToker Camden Scott, who has 117,200 followers on the platform, recently shared two videos to her page where she attempted to use the filter on a number of pictures of herself and her wife.

@cammie.scott

so dinsey is not for the gays i guess #Multiaverso #efeito3d #Multiaverso

♬ som original - Dri
@cammie.scott

this filter did us so dirty #greenscreenvideo #greenscreen

♬ original sound - Camden Scott

As clearly seen in the videos, the filter not only didn’t register and present the pair’s romantic love, in most cases, it completely transformed the image—either turning one of the women into a man, erasing one of them entirely, or in one case, turning Scott into an owl. It’s giving… anti-queer?

And it’s not just gay couples suffering at the hands of Disney filters. Another user, @schimmr, shared that when she tried to use the filter on a photo of herself and her husband, the AI image generator turned her into a massive cat. Weird stuff.

@schimmr

#disneyai #capcut_edit #ai

♬ Disney Pixar - ArtemisCC

It’s a well-known fact that AI-generated art often ends up being either highly inaccurate or highly offensive. There have been multiple studies and reports confirming that this form of AI is inherently biassed. So, while disappointing, this development isn’t exactly shocking to me. That being said, do better! Everyone should be allowed to re-imagine themselves as a Pixar character. Life’s hard enough as it is. Let us live.

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