call of duty black ops 7 is a recent high-profile game that confirms the use of generated AI for some of its in-game assets, according to a disclosure on its Steam page. After similar disclosures were added to the pages for Black Ops 6 and Call of Duty Warzone last year, the latest entry follows suit. Some people diving into FPS games are focusing on content that appears to be generated by AI. The most commonly flagged asset is the Ghibli-inspired calling card that can be earned by completing challenges in the new co-op campaign. In a statement provided to PCGamesN, Activision said its use of digital tools, including AI-powered tools, helps “empower and support our teams to create the best possible gaming experience for our players.”
While neither Activision nor the Call of Duty studio working on the franchise has ever confirmed which individual assets were created (fully or partially) by AI, there are some infamous examples that have been criticized by players over the years. What attracted the most attention was the loading screen artwork, which was obtained through an in-game event and depicted a zombie dressed as Santa Claus. The zombie’s outstretched hand has six digits instead of five, a common mistake in AI art.
Black Ops 7 is now out on all platforms in all regions and is packed with content. But fans have already spotted some extras featuring artwork that appears to have been generated by AI. Several campaign calling cards that recreate the style of Studio Ghibli have been called into question. Advances in generation AI in recent months have made obvious mistakes like the six-fingered zombie less likely. feel And the rather unusual depictions of some calling cards have come under scrutiny.
As for the Steam disclosure for BO7, it’s the same as what’s on the store pages for BO6 and Warzone. “Our team uses generative AI tools to help develop some game assets.”
Earlier this year, Miles Leslie, associate creative director at Treyarch, addressed concerns about generative AI in an interview with IGN, in which he said: [AI tools] While it can serve as a tool to help your team, it’s no substitute for great team members putting the finishing touches and building content to incorporate into your game. ”
As for what exactly the AI generates in Black Ops 7, PCGamesN reached out to Activision for comment and clarification and received the following statement: “Like many companies around the world, we use a variety of digital tools, including AI tools, to help and support our teams to create the best gaming experiences for our players. Our creative process continues to be led by the talented individuals at our studio.”
Another of this year’s big new multiplayer games, Arc Raiders, has also recently gained attention for its use of AI. As confirmed to PCGamesN in an interview shortly before launch, Embark Studios said that voice actors were hired to record the dialogue, but that generative AI would be used to create a broader range of in-game audio, including callouts heard when pinging items and locations. This plan was made clear in the contracts signed by the actors. Although Embark claimed that it did not use generative AI “at all” to create its assets, its use of generative AI to expand its voice line library remains widely criticized.
