A collage featuring X posts from Tim Sweeney and others that reflect the arguments over AI taking place on the platform. (Image credit: (photograph) SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Kenney, an artist known for giving away thousands of free game assets , did not expect to wind up directly arguing with specific billionaires after telling off billionaires in general in a recent X post. But a few hours after he encouraged other artists not to give in to pressure to use generative AI, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney was in his replies.

"This is bullshit, Kenney," Sweeney told the artist , concluding his rebuttal with a cute double entendre: "I've upped my expectations of AI. Up yours!"

Richest-person-in-the-world Elon Musk also chimed in to back up Sweeney. Hundreds of other comments on the exchange inevitably followed, spanning the full spectrum of AI opinions.

Kenney's contentious post was: "Don't let billionaires convince you slop is the future.…