Tsai A-Ga (蔡阿嘎)'s AI-versus-painter poll sparked a 150K-signature boycott

In June 2026 蔡阿嘎, one of Taiwan's most-followed creators, paid a Tokyo street painter about NT$200 for a 似顏繪 portrait of his two young sons. He then shared the hand-drawn result on Instagram against an AI-generated version and asked followers to vote which was better, framing the painter's work as the joke.

Fans read the post as mocking a working artist over a near-nothing fee. A backlash built quickly, and on 23 June 蔡阿嘎 posted an apology video. It did not settle the anger: his fan base, the 嘎家軍, turned on the critics, and a petition calling for a boycott of his sponsor brands passed 150,000 signatures before the campaign was closed at the end of June.

The creator posted a second, longer apology, but the episode had already re-drawn the line between a joke and exploitation in Taiwan's influencer economy.

Paid NT$200 for a portrait, then posted an AI comparison poll; fans launched a 150,000-signature boycott, forcing two public apologies.

The creator measured a hand-painted portrait against a free AI image and let his audience vote, making a low-paid artist the punchline of his content.

Paying NT$200 for skilled work while presenting AI as the better outcome signalled disrespect that no apology could walk back.

When fans attacked his critics, the creator's own base escalated the controversy far past the original post.

When a creator's joke lands on a working person who was paid almost nothing, the audience does not see a joke. It sees the value a platform star puts on a stranger's craft.

蔡阿嘎 issued two apology videos after the 23 June post. A 嘎家軍 backlash against commentators and a petition calling for a boycott of his sponsor brands grew past 150,000 signatures before the campaign ended on 30 June 2026.