Artist Behind VMY2026 Mascots Wira & Manja Accused Of Using AI
A Twitter user claiming to be the artist’s son tried to debunk the claim that the 2026 Visit Malaysia Year Malayan sun bear mascots were made using AI.
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Since it was launched, many have expressed their love for the new 2026 Visit Malaysia Year (VMY2026) Malayan sun bear mascots, Wira and Manja, thanks to their cuteness.
READ MORE: Bear-y Cute! VM2026’s Wira & Manja Have Us All Begging For More
Although the mascot design received much praise, not everyone is confident that the mascots were drawn by hand.
This led some people like Twitter user EmesZack to question whether the mascots were generated using artificial intelligence (AI).
Please tell me this isn't AI… pleaseeeeee https://t.co/q6dPp1m3NS
— エメスザック / EmesZack (@emes_zack) January 7, 2025
In response, another Twitter user Emi claimed his father drew the mascots and shared the early illustrations to prove the mascots weren’t drawn using AI.
However, his shared image showed different iterations of the sun bear mascots printed on paper.
This was not enough evidence for EmesZack who said a couple of pictures on the table wasn’t enough proof that AI did not generate the images. EmesZack asked for further proof to debunk the AI claims.
Hi this is not AI, this is an original drawing by ayah saya 🙂 pic.twitter.com/BIcwo26uQY
— Emy (@Muhdhelmiyani) January 7, 2025
we actually really love the design so if there's proof that this is not AI please do share, unfortunately putting multiple design on ur table doesn't proof anything
— エメスザック / EmesZack (@emes_zack) January 7, 2025
EmesZack doubling down on their stance and pushing for more evidence did not sit well with many netizens.
They found that it was uncalled for and rude to question the artist’s work. Some also felt that the accusations were bordering on slander.
However, EmesZack wasn’t alone in this because a few people pointed out that the images on the desk did look AI-generated.
They suggested Emi’s dad show the proper concept art design just like any professional artist or designer would to put the claims to rest.
Nevertheless, many continued to praise Emi’s father for his talent and shared their love for the cute mascots.
Nak cakap yang your dad memang talenteddd. Cantik
— 👑 SonesLoveSoshi 💗 (@soneslovesoshi) January 7, 2025
Cantikkk your dad is so talented! Kudos to your dad @Muhdhelmiyani !@emes_zack so if you’re an expert what’s your justification regarding this and with all those proofs you’re still denied it? What the.. are you okay? Then proof , yourself that you’re better 🙄
— fadzrain 🪐🍉🇲🇾 (@FadzrainA) January 7, 2025
rasa hang boleh start saman account ni. berbaur fitnah dan hasutan pun ada.
— حتى وان (@memebr0ski) January 7, 2025
love your dad drawing!!! But the main pic used by officials look to AI.. like the colour and the placement ! While your image looks more authentic!! Anyway this obviously issues with the current gov graphic designer
— Meowwww~~~~💙 (@nody_meow) January 8, 2025
sorry but still skeptical, all this looks exactly the same but printed , the background portrait looks like filter
— CORRE1310 (@corre1310) January 7, 2025
i only convinced if he drop proper concept art/design with description to justify why they decide as such.just as any professional graphic artist/designer would.
Why is there some pushback against AI art?
AI learns by gaining data. In other words, the AI only knows what we, the human, already know.
For AI to learn how to write or draw, it copies previous works that have been uploaded on the internet. The AI programme also learns from data uploaded by users.
The use of AI has been criticised in art circles because most artists find that AI copies, effectively steal their artworks. Artists spend years mastering their craft and spend hours producing their works.
Due to this, some people aren’t keen on artworks produced using AI image generators such as Midjourney and DeepAI. This is also largely because AI “artists” would only need to input prompts or cues to create an image they want. To some, this is an insult to artists who have worked hard to create art by hand.
With so many AI images shared online these days, it’s understandable why people are beginning to question what they see. Sometimes these AI images can fool others and effectively spread a fake story, adding to the influx of misinformation floating around online.
For the time being, it’s fairly easy to spot AI-generated images because the images produced are still wonky. Six fingers, an ox moving backwards in videos, and so forth…
However, these AI programmes are slowly improving and there might come a day when it’ll be difficult to distinguish real and fake images. After all, the DeepFake phenomenon is already proving to be quite successful at fooling people.
Just for kicks, we asked ChatGPT for its verdict
We asked ChatGPT, out of curiosity, whether it thinks the mascots were generated using AI.
ChatGPT believes the mascots did not contain any obvious indications of being generated by AI. However, ChatGPT did point out that it was impossible to determine if it was AI-generated without additional metadata or context.
ChatGPT also listed some interesting observations to show that the mascots were created using digital tools, such as the well-rendered fur and no apparent distortions or irregularities that can be usually seen in AI-generated images.
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