French publisher Ubisoft has confirmed a placeholder asset produced using AI tools was present in the launch version of Anno 177: Pax Romana.
As noted by Kotaku, a Reddit user clocked the background image and posted the offending asset in the Anno subreddit. They highlighted what they felt was evidence of generative AI usage, including misshapen hands, perplexing facial expressions, and two characters that seemed fused together.
When approached for comment, Ubisoft said the image was a placeholder that had been missed during the review process. The company will replace the asset in an upcoming patch.
“This image was a placeholder asset that unintentionally slipped through our review process. The final image is attached here and will replace the current version of this artwork with the upcoming 1.3 patch,” said Ubisoft in a statement to Kotaku.
“With Anno 117: Pax Romana being our most ambitious Anno yet, we’ve assembled the largest team of artists ever for the franchise and to help meet the project’s unique scope, they use AI tools for iterations, prototyping, and exploration. Every element players will experience in the final game reflects the team’s craft, artistry, and creative vision.”
Ubisoft previously confirmed it used AI tools to help create some in-game assets on the Steam page for Anno 177: Pax Romana.
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“AI tools were used to help create some in game assets. In all such cases, the final product reflects our team’s craft and creative vision,” reads the AI Generated Content Disclosure on the storefront.
Anno community says decision to use AI tools is “embarrassing”
A number of users on the Anno subreddit expressed disappointment at the company’s decision to lean on AI tools to produce artwork.
“Wow this is incredibly disappointing. I fucking hate it. Those screens captured the ‘vibe’ of the setting so well for me in [Anno] 1800. And the game is basically telling its whole story through them. Embarrassing,” wrote one user.
“I had my suspicions whenever there was a loading screen but now that you posted this here, that’s genuinely disappointing. They have more than enough money to pay artists for this and yet still choose this AI crap. Yikes,” added another.
Ubisoft isn’t the first video game company to leverage AI tools to create art assets. Earlier this year, The Alters developer 11 Bit Studios apologized after if failed to disclose that AI-generated placeholder assets had been used during production. One of those assets also made its way into the launch version of the game and was spotted by players, prompting the apology.
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Notably, 11 Bit also confirmed it used AI-powered translation tools for “additional last minute translations.”
Other major publishers like EA, Embracer, Krafton, Microsoft, and Square Enix have touted the perceived benefits of AI tools in recent years, with execs at those companies frequently suggesting the technology will reduce costs and streamline production.
The latest GDC State of the Industry survey, however, indicated that rank-and-file developers are not exactly warming to generative AI tools.