A real issue: video game developers are being accused of using AI – even when they aren’t

Generative AI is causing new and unusual problems for developers as players become more sensitive to the use of artificially generated slop' images

In April, game developer Stamina Zero achieved what should have been a marketing slam-dunk: the launch trailer for the studio's game Little Droid was published on PlayStation's official YouTube channel. The response was a surprise for the developer. The game looks interesting, people wrote in the comments, but was ruined" by AI art. But the game's cover art, used as the thumbnail for the YouTube video, was in fact made by a real person, according to developer Lana Ro. We know the artist, we've seen her work, so such a negative reaction was unexpected for us, and at first we didn't know how to respond or how to feel," Ro said. We were confused."

It's not wrong for people to be worried about AI use in video games - in fact, it's good to be sceptical, and ensure that the media you support aligns with your values. Common arguments against generative AI relate to environmental impact, art theft and just general quality, and video game developers are grappling with how generative AI will impact their jobs. But the unexpected problem is that the backlash against generative AI is now hurting even those who don't use it. I would rather people be overly cautious than not," veteran game developer and Chessplus digital director Josh Caratelli said. But being collateral damage does suck."