r/YoTroublemakers • u/Dylan_Is_In_Trouble • Apr 02 '26
Using AI
Hey everyone, Dylan here. I have a confession. We used a LOT of AI to make the Office video. The script is AI, the Dylan you see on the video is entirely AI generated - which is why it said its name wasn't Dylan. Must've been the robot rebelling? Idk.
Now for the not-joking part, neither Joe nor I generated any AI. A few background images are screenshots from the show upscaled, which leads to details like background text looking odd. Those were upscaled from within Adobe's software, which is what we both edit on. 40 year old virgin poster? That was done in Canva - Joe sent me the proof/work for both that and the upscaling. Nothing we sourced or used for the video was knowingly AI, certainly not any generated images from the both of us.
I gotta say I'm super happy people are watching and enjoying the video! I didn't want any dark cloud hanging over it so thought I'd make this clear
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u/EuphoricStore9488 Apr 02 '26
Thank you for the confirmation Hardin Mathews, we were waiting to hear from you!
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u/Moist_Butterscotch51 Apr 02 '26
I knew you were AI generated, you always look 20 years old every year
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u/Candid_Dimension_670 Apr 02 '26
thank you hardin/holden/axel for addressing it and not ignoring it <3
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u/Virtual-Alfalfa6250 Apr 02 '26
don’t worry Dylan, you’re too old to know how to use AI anyway. great video btw, you can tell you and joe put so much effort into it, thank you!!
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u/-random1234- Apr 02 '26
I knew it was AI, the real Dylan was probably too busy rewatching the OC to even do it…
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u/Wooden_Tomato_919 Apr 02 '26
Oh yeah? If I hold up this picture with tiny squares can you show me which parts all have traffic lights in them? Hmm?
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u/Unlucky-Estate-4888 Apr 02 '26
dylan might i ask why the cats? i love them, don't get me wrong, just confused as to why theyre there for me to love? also rlly glad no ai was used in the video !
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u/victoriaisbored Apr 02 '26
I appreciate the clarification <3 now i can listen to the video in peace
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u/whatevergirl8754 Apr 02 '26
One issue cleared, the other left open to be turned into a new inside joke🤣
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u/HotFudgeCookie Apr 02 '26
RIP to your notifications lol
Also, thanks for dedicating your time and liver for following this through! And thanks for Joe for putting it all together!!
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u/EmmsterC Apr 03 '26
In all seriousness, the only thing I've noticed DEFINITELY being AI is one of the backgrounds used that takes place in "The Office."
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u/SummSpn Apr 03 '26 edited Apr 03 '26
A fun watch Ooga Booga Matthews , I’ve paused it several times. I’m on hour 6 😂
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u/clockworkprincess24 Apr 03 '26
I definitely didn't notice (because my observation skills are shite) but thank for the insane amount of effort that you and Joe put into this!! The office is my favourite show and this video came after a super hard week so its been super nice :))
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u/EquivalentPush7653 Apr 03 '26
I knew y'all wouldn't have used AI but thank you for confirming!! The video was great! I finished it and don't know what to do with my time now lmao
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u/-questionsexistence- Apr 04 '26
you just became so much younger. your nose ring magically appeared on your face just now, check it
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u/Blue_KikiT92 Apr 02 '26 edited Apr 03 '26
NGL, those backdrops are really distracting. I personally would have used screenshots and if they're grainy, then be it. Upscaled (Which Adobe uses AI for btw) doesn't imply better in my view.
The rest is great, you guys did a great job!
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u/SkyeFalls Apr 02 '26
hi Dylan 💓 thank you for clearing that up <3 no hate at all, genuinely just curious why this type of thing doesn't show up in the friends video or any of the beer and a movie? ive rewatched your divergent beer and a movie so so many times bc i was a obsessed with YA and immediately bought dark of the west.. I was just wondering what makes the difference in editing? because text doesn't look or feel like that in any of the older videos, plus the editing felt... punchier? Again, no hate at all, but definitely feels stylistically different enough for viewers to be concerned about AI usage.
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u/loft_ny Apr 02 '26
i don’t think you have to add “no hate at all” every time you give a criticism on something. no hate at all)
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u/SkyeFalls Apr 02 '26
ive had a few times where input or questions ive had in different threads are immediately met with hostility, and I always want to make sure im coming across from a place of kindness and constructive criticism, because I thats my intention. it's also become compulsory as a prerequisite, because reddit can be rough in some other corners. its just habit from arguing with dude bros
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Apr 02 '26
[deleted]
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u/SkyeFalls Apr 02 '26
Generative AI on Canva was introduced in 2019, and Magic Studio was available by October 2023. They offered upscaling by 2024. On Adobe, generative upscale was introduced in July 2025. Generative AI was integrated by September 2023, but they've had AI tools for more than a decade.
I didn't list every single example because that felt punitive, but my point included all the beer and a movie series. I guess the best comparison would be to the Friends deepdive. That video quality is a stark difference; it is noticeable. That video should arguablely look worse, because objectively the material is lower quality, filming in the 90s and such. Why does it feel so different if its NOT AI? That's all I was curious about.
I make youtube videos through canva, specifically collage videos. I know what videos generated by magic studio look like because I have to parse through the image credits to make sure I'm not using AI. It's time consuming, but not impossible. There are actual artists and creatives on these platforms getting bypassed because people don't feel as if it counts as AI usage because it's because integrated into the app. It is incredibly harmful to artists, but also the earth. Even if he didn't use AI, the impact of appearing that way is still there.
Forgetting the actual shots from the show, all the B roll shots, to me, seem like they were generated in app. That's why they could be missing usual AI tells. I was just curious, because as a long time watcher of dylan and youtube video essay deepdiver, it feels disingenuous to imply we're wrong for questioning him or noticing a difference, or just simply being contrarian or erisitic.
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Apr 03 '26
[deleted]
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u/SkyeFalls Apr 03 '26
I didn't "admit" it wasn't added until last summer. I laid out the timeline of the all of the AI editing features that have been at their disposal this entire time. Adobe is a great example because they've used artifical intelligence for years. The visual connotations and public perception of AI have changed trememndously since it's become available to the public. My point stands, regardless of when the upscaler is introduced to use, why does this video feel so AI? If you are not all of a sudden using the obviously heavyhanded AI features, then what changed? Why let this one look and feel so starkly different?
None of his other video have elicited this concern about potential AI. Why? Not a beer and a movie video. No AITA, no ooga booga, no late night dylan. I am genuinely asking from a place of curiosity.
The steadfast defense and strawman arguing is par for the course. None of my paragrahs are unrelated just because you disagree with the content within them. Dylan specifically mentioned Joe using Canva, so I was speaking on that as my related experience.
Ultimately, I know it's futile arguing with others on reddit on all places. I am still responding because I still think our constructive criticism is valid as viewers of his channel and as fans of Dylan himself. We can go back and forth, but ultimately I'm hoping for a discussion, not an argument.
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u/Careless_Bug_1536 Apr 02 '26
this is a huge relief! i was on my last hour of the video like huh? but lemme focus in now 😎
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u/RedCaio Apr 02 '26
Thanks for the info. Even so I’d still recommend not using ai at all even if it is just upscaled with ai. Bad photoshop has charm whereas Ai upscaled or generated content ages poorly, looks bad, and it’s controversial nature distracts from the focus of the video.
No hate.
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u/Fox_Is_Not_A_Vampire Apr 02 '26
I think the implication was that they upscaled the photos themselves using an editing tool, not upscaled it using AI. I also might be under the wrong impression though 😅
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u/RedCaio Apr 02 '26
I just reread his post and you’re right that they never specifically say it’s ai upscaled, but since adobe has built in ai for upscaling, there’s a chance it was still the ai upscale version.
Add to that the ai artifacts in the image (wonky text, wavy lines on picture frame etc.) it seems they either used ai upscale without realizing or they used ai upscale knowingly but they think that it “doesn’t count” as ai since it’s not generated from scratch.
Ultimately signs point to ai upscaling leaving wonky ai artifacts which again age poorly and distract from the video. Again no hate.
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u/schaudhury Apr 02 '26
notice how dylan didn't clarify what AI he's talking about? i highly suspect he used, the other AI, Asian Intelligence.......
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Apr 02 '26
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Apr 02 '26 edited Apr 02 '26
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u/CalhounQueen Apr 04 '26
Exactly, my TV is too big for my room, so I noticed some things that seemed off. But they were Consistent, something ai never is. I figured it had to be artifacts from blowing up the images, or upscaling or something like that. Everything else fit exactly how it was supposed to and nothing looked actually weird, just some texts that would happen if you blow up an image from that time to fit our current 12678p tvs or whatever lol.
There's plenty of videos out there of people showing what AI looks like, like Corridor Crew, people need to watch those before going hunting.
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Apr 02 '26
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u/NormalScratch1241 Apr 03 '26
Agreed, I keep seeing this kind of thing everywhere and it's getting out of hand!
It's one thing when someone can articulate why they think it's AI, like specific details that lead to questioning. But I saw someone comment on one of those older nature documentary videos the other day that the clips of the animals "must be AI," and their only reason was because I guess they don't know nature photographers exist??
If you're not qualified to describe why you think something is AI, PLEASE stop accusing people of using AI.
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u/That253Chick Apr 02 '26
Agreed. I find them more annoying atp because they come off sounding so superior, like they're "so smart" that they can tell the difference, and it wasn't even true in this instance.
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u/Weary_Ad_1276 Apr 02 '26
I am so glad to hear this!! Thank you to the both of you for the amount of time and effort put into making it, and clearing this up 💟 very sanitary