It looks like even the Chipmunks couldn’t escape the clutches of the AI debate, with some promotional material highlighting Alvin’s potential “new look” coming under fire after drastic changes to the character’s appearance left fans convinced it was artificially generated. This was especially jarring on the heels of fans already being skeptical about the film in general, with some saying that there’s no reason to reboot the franchise at all. It’s worth noting that at no point did the studio imply that they would be using AI in the making of the reboot. But now, the owners of Bagdasarian Productions, Janice Karmen and Ross Bagdasarian Jr., are speaking out about the concerns.
Michael Bagdasarian, a voice actor and the son of Janice and Ross, appeared to speak with a concerned fan whose identity remains a mystery, relaying a message from his parents about the status of the new Chipmunks film. Now those messages have gone public on X. In regard to the AI accusations surrounding the new promo video, Bagdasarian said, “Alvin is not going to be an influencer, and we are not using AI. That version of Alvin isn’t an official final look [and] the video today was meant to let people know that the ‘headshot’ is not how Alvin is going to look.”
The video, which was posted to Instagram, showed a text conversation among Alvin, Simon, and Theodore, in which Alvin sent his brothers a picture to show off his “new look.” The Alvin that flashed across the screen was buried under layers of filters—something that was quickly pointed out. It was these filters that led fans to believe AI had been used to generate the image, which had a strange, uncanny-valley feeling. In response to Michael addressing the AI rumorsand putting them to rest, one fan said beneath the video that started the controversy, “This will probably get lost in the sea of comments, but Thank You, Bagdasarians, for speaking out and addressing our concerns about AI usage! This has made me, and hopefully other fans, more excited about what we’re getting in 2028! Here’s to a fantastic 70 year anniversary to come! Can’t wait to see what you guys do next!”
UPDATE: Michael Bagdasarian has reached out with a new message from Ross and Janice. I'm censoring his instagram info and will also not be sharing the identity of the person he reached out to for privacy's sake. But I can 100% confirm this is him. Transcript in replies. pic.twitter.com/EUotYlHC14
While Janice and Ross didn’t touch on the AI accusations themselves, leaving that to their son, they did say that they “can’t wait to start delivering our old and new chipmunk projects along with official merchandise you all have asked for and more opportunities for fan engagement.” They have also confirmed that this image will not be in the final product when it’s released in theaters in 2028.
What are your thoughts on the potential use of AI in the Alvin and the Chipmunks reboot? Do you think that fans were too quick to get up in arms about it, or was it a valid concern? Let us know in the comments. And don’t forget to check out the ComicBook forum to see what other fans are saying.
