MrBeast pulls AI tool for YouTube thumbnails, issues video apology

MrBeast's AI tool for generating YouTube thumbnails was only published a week ago, but it's already no more.

The most subscribed YouTuber in the world, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, published the tool via his YouTube creator help website, Viewstats. The AI thumbnail generator, made available to paying Viewstats Pro subscribers, was marketed as a way to help creators with smaller audiences generate thumbnails for videos. But the backlash was swift, with creators like Jacksepticeye and PointCrow, and many X users accusing Donaldson of creating a tool that will actively harm artists' livelihoods.

The AI thumbnail generator has now been taken down from Viewstats, with Donaldson sharing the following video statement on X on Thursday night

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

"A week ago I launched an AI thumbnail tool that helps small creators create better thumbnails," he says in the clip. "I thought people were going to be pretty excited about it but I definitely missed the mark," says Donaldson in the video post. "I read all you guys' feedback, and I've been thinking a lot about it, and so we just enacted some changes that I think you guys will find positive."

Donaldson said instead of the AI tool, users of Viewstats will now find an online prompt to commission a human artist to design a thumbnail.

"Going forward, there is no AI thumbnail tool. Anyone, from now on, that signs up for Viewstats Pro, there will not be an AI thumbnail tool, it just doesn't exist, we pulled it down. And on top of that, I wanted to go one step further to really show artists out there that I care: If you go on Viewstats.com, under our More Tools section, it will say "Hire a Thumbnail Artist", and if you click that it will take you to a page of artists' portfolios where you can commission a real thumbnail artist to make you a real thumbnail."

MrBeast has been hit with a number of controversies recently. Fans recently complained about their experience at his immersive Las Vegas event, while his Prime Video show Beast Games was renewed despite allegations of mismanagement on set.