Artist Behind VMY2026 Mascots Wira & Manja Accused of Using AI: Is AI Taking Over Art

Source: TRP

The 2026 Visit Malaysia Year (VMY2026) Malayan sun bear mascots, Wira and Manja, have stolen hearts everywhere for their cuteness. But not all praise has been positive. A Twitter user recently sparked controversy, accusing the mascots of being created with artificial intelligence (AI), rather than being hand-drawn by the artist.

EmesZack, a Twitter user, questioned whether the adorable mascots were AI-generated, doubting the authenticity of their hand-drawn origins. In response, another Twitter user named Emi, claiming to be the son of the artist, shared early sketches of the mascots to prove they were drawn by his father. However, the images shared were merely iterations of the mascots on paper, which some skeptics still found insufficient to fully debunk the AI accusation.

Despite the defense, EmesZack didn’t back down, asking for more concrete proof. His persistence was met with backlash from others who felt his skepticism was uncalled for, even bordering on slander. Yet, there were still people who believed the sketches did look AI-generated and argued that proper concept art should be presented to settle the debate once and for all.

The debate over AI-generated art isn’t new. Artists have long criticized AI tools like Midjourney and DeepAI, arguing that they essentially steal from existing works to generate new ones. While some see these AI tools as a threat to traditional art, others view it as a sign of progress. The backlash against AI art, especially when used in a professional setting, reveals the tensions between technology and craftsmanship.

Why the AI Art Backlash?

AI programs learn from data and replicate patterns from images uploaded by users. This has led many artists to argue that AI “borrows” their works, with little regard for the time and effort spent perfecting traditional artistry. As AI-generated images become more prevalent, the line between what’s real and what’s fake has begun to blur, further fueling distrust in these technologies.

Despite their growing sophistication, AI-generated art still has telltale signs. For now, it’s easy to spot distortions or oddities like extra fingers or misplaced features. But AI is improving fast, and soon it may become difficult to distinguish between a true piece of art and one created by a machine.

ChatGPT Weighs In:

We asked ChatGPT its verdict on whether the VMY2026 mascots were AI-generated. The conclusion? ChatGPT believes the mascots show no obvious signs of being AI-created. It points to the smooth fur textures and lack of irregularities—features that are typically absent in AI-generated art. However, without more context or metadata, it’s impossible to be 100% certain.