AI Art Backlash: Activision and Steam Under Fire for Using AI-Generated Content
AI art feels like a turning point in design and branding, not just in terms of tech but also in company attitudes. It increasingly seems that brands of all kinds just don’t care about how bad AI art looks nor about the backlash it provokes among their customers.
The Latest Controversy: Call of Duty Black Ops 6
After the horror of the Coca-Cola AI Christmas ad, Activision is the latest brand to ruin the festive season with apparent AI slop. After the appearance of an AI-looking zombie Santa in the Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Necrocalus screen in the Season 1 Reloaded update, fans have dug deeper and unearthed all manner of potentially AI-generated content in the game, while Activision – and Steam – have remained silent.
Suspect Assets and Lack of Transparency
While Activision has not confirmed or denied it, fans deemed the CoD Black Ops 6 zombie Santa Claus to look suspiciously AI due to unnatural forms and the (un)dead giveaway of a six-fingered hand. The image was followed by another six-digit hand that also looked clearly AI-generated.
“The hand, the balls, and the random smoke is all completely disjointed,” one person noted on Reddit. Since then, gamers have been listing a litany of suspect assets in the game. One post on Reddit has picked up over 1,000 comments and over 8,000 upvotes.
Steam’s Stance: Lack of Transparency and Potential Special Treatment
People are also unhappy about Steam’s stance on the matter. It allows developers to use AI in their games but requires them to disclose it to potential customers. But Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has no such disclaimer on its Steam page, which has prompted claims that it’s been given special treatment. The only mentions of AI appear in the reviews, which are packed with criticism of alleged AI content.
Conclusion
It seems that developers like Activision, and more general brands, including giants like Coca-Cola, think that the inevitable backlash against their use of AI art won’t translate into enough lost revenue to detract from the savings achieved. The risk is that this attitude will erode the brand equity they’ve built up over the years. If the brands with the biggest budgets are now doing things on the cheap, why stick with them?
FAQs
Q: What is the controversy about?
A: The controversy surrounds the use of AI-generated content in the game Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, specifically the appearance of an AI-looking zombie Santa and other suspect assets in the game.
Q: Has Activision confirmed or denied the use of AI-generated content?
A: Activision has not confirmed or denied the use of AI-generated content, but fans have pointed out several instances of potentially AI-generated content in the game.
Q: What is Steam’s stance on AI-generated content?
A: Steam allows developers to use AI in their games but requires them to disclose it to potential customers. However, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has no such disclaimer on its Steam page, prompting claims of special treatment.
Q: What is the impact of this controversy on the brand?
A: The controversy may erode the brand equity of Activision and other brands that use AI-generated content without transparency, potentially leading to a loss of customer trust and loyalty.
