Generative AI isn’t creeping into the media world as much as it is ramming into it with an eighteen-wheeler truck. A new sad report alleges that Activision sold players an AI-generative cosmetic in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 for $15 while the company reportedly forced artists to ‘use AI to aid in their work.’
The AI-generative cosmetic in question is Yokai’s Wrath from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, which goes for 1,500 COD Points. When translated into real-world money, that amounts to around $15. The design of the skin itself isn’t the issue, though. It’s the accompanying artwork that, upon closer inspection, definitely has all the telltale signs of AI: glossy, overly photorealistic tone that looks like putty slime and a burning building in the background for some reason. To make matters worse, it looks nothing like the skin it’s meant to promote.
An anonymous artist at Activision recently spoke to Wired’s Brian Merchant about the current state of the remaining artists at the company (the few who weren’t laid off earlier this year). “A lot of 2D artists were laid off,” said the anonymous artist going by the moniker Noah. Those who remained were apparently “forced to use AI to aid in their work.” Noah also alleges that mandatory sign-ups for AI training at Activision were common.
Due to the number of artists laid off from the publisher, the remaining artists are reportedly struggling to keep up with the workload. Another anonymous veteran artist and developer under the fake name Violet added, “Why get a bunch of expensive concept artists or designs when you can get an art director to give some bad directions to an AI and get stuff that’s good enough, really fast—and get a few artists to clean it up? You’ll probably never see which part is using AI in what, but you know it’s there.”
Activision has yet to respond to this report.
Source: Wired
