A recent post on X in Japan about a "shattered life-size acrylic standee" quickly went viral. The user had uploaded a photo of a broken "Gentildonna" standee from "Uma Musume," but eagle-eyed netizens soon questioned if the image was actually AI-generated. The original post was later deleted.
But the drama didn't stop there. The user then posted, bragging about how the AI-generated broken standee image had helped them recruit members to their paid Discord community, successfully raking in cash. This blatant admission immediately ignited a massive online firestorm, forcing the original poster to issue an apology.
First, some context: the "Uma Musume" Gentildonna life-size acrylic standee is an official product originally offered for pre-order by CyStore. Featuring the horse girls in everyday outfits, each standee retailed for a hefty 240,000 yen. Deliveries have recently begun, and X has been flooded with unboxing posts from excited fans.
The user who sparked this whole mess initially claimed that an AC repair technician was coming over, and while moving the standee to clear the workspace, they accidentally knocked it over, causing it to shatter. They posted the "shattered life-size acrylic standee" photo,
and added that the standee was "surprisingly thin," lamenting how a 240,000 yen item could be so easily destroyed. The post instantly blew up, with many users offering sympathy and expressing shock that such an expensive item could be so fragile, even questioning if the manufacturer used subpar materials.
However, once the post gained traction, sharp-eyed netizens noticed that the Gentildonna standee photo likely contained AI-generated elements, pointing out several unnatural details. They questioned the user's motive for faking a broken standee with AI, and the post was subsequently deleted.
But the controversy was far from over. The original poster later made another post, openly bragging about how the viral traffic from their fake standee post had drawn people into their paid Discord community, claiming to have earned approximately 600,000 yen from the whole affair. This sparked a torrent of criticism, rapidly escalating the incident into a full-blown online firestorm.
After a day of intense online backlash, the user behind the "shattered life-size acrylic standee" post issued a public apology, stating:
"To all 'Uma Musume' fans, Cygames Inc. (the operators of 'Uma Musume'), and Sunday Racing Co., the owner of 'Gentildonna': I will refrain from making misleading posts like this in the future. Moving forward, I will also clearly label any AI-generated images. I sincerely apologize for the trouble I have caused."
The apology continued: "Furthermore, while this is entirely my own wish, as a small act of atonement, I am considering donating all profits gained from this controversy to the Certified NPO Retired Horse Association. Although I don't believe this will earn public forgiveness, I hope this action conveys my heartfelt love for horse racing and retired racehorses."
However, many fans found his actions unacceptable, regardless of whether he actually intends to donate the money. They argued that exploiting people's sympathy and viral trends for profit is deplorable, leading to further harsh criticism. Many stated that his credibility was completely ruined, and bragging about profiting from it was utterly outrageous.
Naturally, this incident also highlighted a growing concern among netizens: "How do we identify AI-fabricated content?" As AI generation technology becomes more widespread, it's hardly surprising that someone trying to farm engagement and profit from sympathy like this would face such a massive backlash.