SM Entertainment Girl Group Faces Criticism For Alleged Use Of AI
Red Velvet‘s upcoming comeback has become the center of unexpected controversy after fans claimed to spot Google’s Gemini AI logo in one of the group’s teaser images.
The discovery quickly spread across social media, with many speculating that generative AI may have been used during the teaser image’s production.
So I found the Gemini logo in one of the tiles 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/5BqbvqO7RB
— Venus wont kiss n tell 🪽 (@v3nusbabi) July 7, 2026
Screenshots highlighting what appears to resemble the Gemini logo soon went viral, prompting criticism from fans who questioned why AI would be used for official promotional content.
this is honestly so embarrassing… its so disappointing, if not the company i wish at least the people working at center 3 would care enough about the artistry of what they do, they could manage before without ai, there’s no reason to use it now https://t.co/0jxFZEFaeA
— academic victim 🌊🏄♀️ (@streamtheonly) July 7, 2026
Some fans expressed frustration that major entertainment companies would potentially rely on AI-generated assets instead of commissioning original work from designers and illustrators.
And y'all really thought SM is paying independent artists? There's a reason they kept on stealing for years, instead of paying. They've no respect for Art and artists 😴 https://t.co/NmqEbkPZhv
— call me lit 💫 (@Ellieeiee) July 8, 2026
Others argued that the presence of a Gemini logo does not necessarily prove that all the content was AI-generated. As discussion continues online, neither SM Entertainment nor the creative team behind the teaser has addressed the speculation. The company has since taken down the picture and replaced it with a version with the logo removed.
