AI-made animation “Smooth Operator” goes viral and sparks debate
This story was corrected after publication (Oct. 9, 2026). Details
The animation “Smooth Operator” was made with AI, and viewers were quick to notice.
Set to Sade’s “Smooth Operator,” it follows an umbrella-carrying man around the city as he catches falling plant pots and rescues cats from trees. It went viral fast, but its mix of art styles and characters that look familiar from existing films also sparked a debate.
Sources
- antrofrog (@antrofrog_), original video, (x.com)
- Creative Bloq, “Viral AI animation sparks controversy over familiar character design”, (creativebloq.com)
Corrections and updates
- The version first posted on Instagram said that at first glance everyone thought a human made the animation. According to Creative Bloq, viewers quickly worked out that it was made with AI; the text has been corrected.
About this story
This story was posted on Instagram by @jarrus.tech on Oct. 6, 2026.
Spotted an error in this story? [email protected] · Instagram
Short link: thejarrus.com/en/smooth-operator
This story in Turkish: Yapay zekayla üretilen “Smooth Operator” animasyonu viral oldu ve tartışma yarattı
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