Generative AI is transforming game development in surprising ways. While the biggest fear is that AI will take away or replace jobs, some developers are facing an unexpected problem: being accused of using AI when they aren’t.
Even a quick browse on Steam shows that a lot of people are using AI in their games, especially AI capsule art. However, there are still many indie developers who don’t want to engage with AI due to potential commercial and reputational damage.
I ordered new art for my game and it looks like it was generated by AI? From r/IndieGameDevs
We’ve seen big developers and publishers go for the AI slop (we’ve even seen one developer get furious after bragging about having created the world’s first 100% AI-generated game). But in recent months, there has been a surge in social media posts from indie developers worried about AI.
Some people are concerned that the artist they hired to create their capsule art is continuing to use AI-generated images and are seeking a second opinion. Some people know that their capsule art isn’t AI because they know the artist or created the art themselves, but they’re worried that people will think it looks like AI anyway.
I need feedback from graphic artists: Can my visual style be recognized as AI? From r/gamedev
I recently wrote about the scientific controversy sparked by Schrödinger’s cat burglar. This upcoming game has also caused art controversy, with developer Abandoned Sheep deciding to change the capsule art because so many people thought it was AI-generated (which it wasn’t).
“My fear was that players who were really interested would see our video, get excited, go to the comments, see the accusations of AI, think, ‘Oh, that’s definitely like AI, maybe they’re using it, maybe they’re using it in the game,’ and then they wouldn’t be interested anymore,” the developer says.
Everyone thought our art was AI, so we had to change that… from r/IndieDev
Others said they were faced with media and publishers accusing them of “AI failures” with non-AI art and trailers. Spicy Muffin Media, the small team behind the game Axion 1986, says it was denied press coverage as a result.
“It’s hard for people these days to believe that four people can make a decent game without AI,” the developer wrote on Reddit. “My friend and I are veteran artists who have worked in games and movies for 20 years for companies like Sony, Disney, and Marvel. Creating this two-minute video from scratch wasn’t our first rodeo.”
People think our game’s trailer is AI slop (which it isn’t) and don’t want our game taken away from r/IndieGaming.
These kinds of accusations are a big deal because social media promotion is so important to games these days. Some developers say that once AI art suggestions come out, people stop paying attention to everything else and focus only on AI accusations.
So how can game developers avoid AI accusations, and how should they respond if they are accused of AI?
Some companies are changing their approach to capsule art to avoid some of the characteristics most associated with AI. That might mean avoiding the cartoonish, semi-sepia tones that are common in ChatGPT-generated images. It also helps to choose your typeface carefully, as uneven lettering or strange-looking characters can still be a sign of AI.
But the reality is that AI image generators have become so convincing that any art style can be accused of looking AI by those who don’t like it. Some developers are interested in behind-the-scenes content such as development diaries and short videos showing the drawing process. This not only shows that the game is not AI, but also helps with marketing the game.
Others are trying to pre-empt or flip the AI accusations and get traffic with posts asking whether games look like AI.
Eventually, people may stop rushing to call out art that looks AI. Already, people sometimes see perfect, ancient human-made objects as “telltale signs” of GenAI (human artists can also sometimes use strange perspectives or place things in strange places).
In the meantime, developers should plan how they will respond in the event of a complaint. At the end of the day, the best strategy is to keep trying to make games that are different and unique, and to remember that people who like the way a game looks may not be as vocal as those who don’t.
