Call of Duty devs admit to using AI-generated content
Suspicions were first raised over some questionable artwork in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
🤖 Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 uses generative AI
🤔 Several pieces of artwork were flagged last year as potentially being AI generated
😣 A new disclosure section on the game’s Steam page reveals the devs use AI
🤷♂️ “Our team uses generative AI tools to help develop some in game assets,” the disclosure reads
After months of speculation, it turns out that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 does indeed feature AI-generated content.
A new content disclosure has appeared on the game’s Steam page which asks the developers to describe how their game uses AI Generated Content.
“Our team uses generative AI tools to help develop some in game assets,” the disclosure reads.
The admission comes after fans first accused Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 of using AI-generated images last year.
Players highlighted a zombie Santa that appeared to have six fingers and other artworks were scrutinized by the Call of Duty community. It turns out those suspicions were correct.
For a game that has a seemingly unlimited budget and makes millions of dollars every year, the choice to use AI is egregious. It feels wholly unnecessary and nothing more than a cynical cost-cutting measure by publisher Activision.
However, expect to see more generative AI in the future as publishers find more ways to maximize profits.
Microsoft recently announced a new generative AI tool for Xbox called Muse, which it says will create new gameplay experiences during the creative process. Muse could apparently help with game preservation, though many remain skeptical.
We also saw Coca-Cola release AI-generative Christmas adverts, which would have saved the global household name a few hundred thousand dollars as opposed to hiring humans to undertake the work.
Unfortunately, artificial intelligence is here to stay, but consumers at least deserve full disclosure about any AI use. Hopefully, more store pages will force developers and publishers to admit to using AI, as it shouldn’t be down to consumers to second guess whether a human created something.
Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.
