AI Art Removed From Upcoming Terminator RPG Book

(this is not the art in question)​

AI rears its head yet again--this time it's an artist using Artificial Intelligence and then submitting it to Nightfall Games for its upcoming Terminator 2: Judgement Day sourcebook.

The artist in question initially claimed that the art was not generated by AI. Nightfall Games made a statement yesterday indicating that they had detected the AI art during the development phase of the product, and are already in the process of having it replaced for the book's release. The artist has not been named—but it’s probably not Skynet!

This is the second time AI art has hit the headlines, after WotC updated its AI art policy following false accusations by a YouTuber. It's clear that AI art is going to be a major topic in the months and years to come.

As I mentioned in my last update, we just need to do a few quick things over the weekend to finalise both T2 and RESIST. Jared who is our Indesign guru was working through the files when he noticed that one of the art pieces looked suspiciously AI-like. He pointed this out to Benn and Mark, who have led the production of the project. They both confirmed that the 'art-producer' had confirmed multiple times that he wasn't using AI art generators and instead was producing collages and then over painting and using Photoshop filters to make the art. Mark and Benn trusted this individual as both a long term collegue and friend.

The image was run through an AI art identifying program to discover a 99.9% match with the AI art generator 'Midjourney'. We then identified all other art produced by the individual to discover a 99.9% 'Midjourney' hit on 16 of them.

16x99.9% AI or a program that is 16x99.9% wrong?​

We hoped the identifier was wrong, but our art experts quickly noticed things the less experienced members of our team would never have know. Things like image resolution, go to AI filters etc.. We had been duped and paid out a significant amount of money in the duping.

But why does this matter?​

It matters because AI art is theft. It creates art from a massive, massive portfolio of art and images, that have been created by real people. It then splurges out poor mockeries of these arts without any consideration of the artists and can be done by any Tom, Dick or Hary.

We do not want to cheat artists (we are artists), we don't want to cheat you (our backers and customers). We are a small company, who focus on good and original art and pay well for it. We find this situation abhorrent, upsetting and depressing.

Purge or Die?​

A dilemma indeed. Although, as Data from Star Trek would say, we considered it for approximately 0.0002 milliseconds.

What we have done?​

We have great people in our team and Jared has sacrificed his long weekend to fix this. And he has. We need to get approval for the fixes from the IP owners but we will drive that now. Once given we will be back on track.

Watch this space...​

In the meantime, we as a company will be working with our external artists to ensure that all art is confirmed AI free and we will also be implementing a number of checks before payment is made and art is accepted.

 

[Willie the Duck]

They were going to use Artificial Intelligence (which people fear is too unregulated and could lead to the downfall of any number of human endeavors) to draw for their Terminator (an IP framed around the story of Artificial Intelligence leading to the downfall of humanity) sourcebook? Okay, I just checked and this qualifies for at least one definition of 'irony.' Either way, it's a mind-screw.

 

[Retreater]

Was the artist's name "Skynet?"

 

[GMMichael]

They were going to use Artificial Intelligence (which people fear is too unregulated and could lead to the downfall of any number of human endeavors) to draw for their Terminator (an IP framed around the story of Artificial Intelligence leading to the downfall of humanity) sourcebook? Okay, I just checked and this qualifies for at least one definition of 'irony.' Either way, it's a mind-screw.

Yeah. It's like, if AI-art is going to be appropriate in an RPG, Terminator would be the one.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

Terminated! Hasta la vista, baby!

 

[kenada]

Was the artist's name "Skynet?"

Just call it a self-portrait!

 

[Sacrosanct]

Irony aside, as a publisher (especially as an Indie publisher), it's getting harder and harder to detect what is AI or not. WIP don't always help. And some artists refuse to provide WIP (I recall Dyson Logos saying he would be insulted if someone asked him for a WIP). I've gotten to a point where I've significantly reduced the number of open calls I do, and instead go back to artists I know and can trust. Which makes it harder for new artists to break into the hobby if we're all doing that now.

 

[Von Ether]

They were going to use Artificial Intelligence (which people fear is too unregulated and could lead to the downfall of any number of human endeavors) to draw for their Terminator (an IP framed around the story of Artificial Intelligence leading to the downfall of humanity) sourcebook? Okay, I just checked and this qualifies for at least one definition of 'irony.' Either way, it's a mind-screw.

Came here to say this. Bravo!

 

[Von Ether]

Irony aside, as a publisher (especially as an Indie publisher), it's getting harder and harder to detect what is AI or not. WIP don't always help. And some artists refuse to provide WIP (I recall Dyson Logos saying he would be insulted if someone asked him for a WIP). I've gotten to a point where I've significantly reduced the number of open calls I do, and instead go back to artists I know and can trust. Which makes it harder for new artists to break into the hobby if we're all doing that now.

It's always been a vicious cycle in our industry -- now times two. It's even gotten worse for trad publishing as several pro fiction magazines have closed submissions even more frequently due to submitted AI sci-fi/fantasy stories.

Sadly, it not due to the AI stories even being remotely good but just the sheer volume of submissions. On that subject, my real question are the submitters just lazy or hackers looking for another scam.

 

[GrandChefPanda]

Since AI is now in photoshop, showing a little bit of process is not enough, you need to check the painting video in realtime to be sure. And I guess not for long, if there is a demand, some AI will be able to create soon the art and the fake process video.