(12 February 2026 | Source: Telegram channel of Mikhail Parkhomenko)
Russian film director Mikhail Parkhomenko has reported that a promotional material for an AI video generation tools competition by Higgsfield AI used reworked scenes from his film Jumper.
According to the author, the visual elements were technically altered, but the composition remained recognisable. Following public reaction, the company removed the publication and got in touch with the film's team.
For reference: Higgsfield AI is a Kazakhstani startup in the field of generative AI video. According to industry publications, the company was valued at over $1.3 billion and was positioned as a "unicorn" — a private technology company with a valuation exceeding $1 billion.
HOW THE CONFLICT AROSE
On the night of 9–10 February, Parkhomenko wrote on his Telegram channel that the Higgsfield AI competition promo used reworked frames from his work.
The director noted that the scenes had been "re-textured" and presented as a demonstration of the platform's capabilities. The competition link subsequently became unavailable.
PUBLIC REACTION AND NEGOTIATIONS
On the night of 10–11 February, the director reported numerous user comments and approaches to the company's ambassadors.
The competition post was deleted. Representatives of Higgsfield AI contacted the director, apologised, and offered to hold a call. According to Parkhomenko, the parties discussed the circumstances of the incident and the assessment of the situation. The company promised to come back with proposals for resolution.
Information regarding the filing of official complaints or the initiation of legal proceedings is not provided in the materials.
PREVIOUSLY RAISED COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE COMPANY
The current episode unfolds against the backdrop of other public disputes surrounding Higgsfield AI.
According to a publication by Reuters, in January the startup's valuation reached $1.3 billion, with an annual turnover of $200 million. The project was founded by Yerzat Dulat and Alex Mashrabov, who previously headed the generative AI division at Snapchat. The company announced plans for scaling and expanding its workforce.
In early February, a critical article by machine learning specialist Anil Chandra Naidu Matcha was published in an open repository on GitHub. The author claimed that the terms of "unlimited" subscriptions were changed unilaterally, and some accounts were blocked. The materials do not specify whether investigations or court proceedings are underway.
Additionally, user reports appeared on social media about disputes related to payment for promotional content and access to the service. No official confirmation of these statements from the company has been provided.
The publication The Register previously criticised the startup's marketing messages, including a post on X claiming that the company's tools had supposedly "finished the work of over 20 creative professions". It was reported that the post was deleted following a negative backlash.
At the time of preparing this material, no official comment from Higgsfield AI regarding the stated complaints was available in open sources.
CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
The story involving the film Jumper raises the issue of using copyrighted works in the promotion and demonstration of generative AI tools. Parkhomenko emphasised in his statement that he sees the situation as a precedent that cannot be ignored.
A legal assessment of such cases in the field of generative AI is not provided in the materials. It is not specified whether the incident will lead to official proceedings or changes in the company's practices.