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He created the terrible tusks and terrible claws belonging to one of the world's most recognisable children's characters.
But Gruffalo illustrator Axel Scheffler has warned how AI turned his beloved beast into an amoral drunkard.
He believes the technology is becoming a 'real threat' to his industry after discovering his artwork being reproduced 'in a second' with a 'very limited moral compass'.
The German illustrator, 68, who worked with children's author Julia Donaldson to create the Gruffalo's iconic look, said it was a worrying time for illustrators not protected in the same way authors are.
Speaking at the Publishers Association's annual reception in Parliament this week, he said: 'I have recently been confronted by the power of AI. I had naively thought it was a subject I could ignore.'
But that was until 'somebody showed me what happens to the Gruffalo when you prompt AI to create an image', the examples of which were 'shocking' and included 'the Gruffalo and mouse more or less recognisable as my drawing in a completely alien context that I had never created'.
Ahead of yesterday's release of the third instalment, Gruffalo Granny, Scheffler continued: 'You can see the Gruffalo in Silicon Valley; you can prompt a whole story of the Gruffalos being visited by their grandmother; and you can get... well, I'll do a little demonstration by drawing the Gruffalo for you in lederhosen.
'This is what AI can deliver in less than a minute. Please notice that the characters are drinking alcohol – AI has a very limited moral compass.'
Axel Sheffler has warned that AI turned his beloved Gruffalo into an amoral drunkard
Mr Scheffler, who worked with children's author Julia Donaldson to create the Gruffalo's iconic look, said it was a worrying time for illustrators
The AI tool he used would not, however, 'create the Gruffalo in sexy underwear' as he was told it 'would violate our guardrails around nudity, sexuality or erotic content'.
But while the tool would not recreate the words of Ms Donaldson as she is a 'living author', the same apparently did not apply to the work of illustrators.
Websites such as AI Children's Book Creator claim they can produce 'complete illustrated books' within minutes.
Scheffler's comments come two years after his co-creator Ms Donaldson branded AI 'scarily impressive'.
In 2024, she told how her son got AI to write an alternate version of her book The Oak Tree. She said: 'Within five seconds I had this whole rhyming poem about an oak tree. I mean, it wasn't terribly good, but it was quite scary.'
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