Yep (see below). When I see AI art in your game, it says to me that you don’t value investing in human creativity and skill, so I’ll assume you used it for the game design, rules writing, marketing, company HR, payroll, etc. If you don’t care about artists, why would you care about any human work?
Along similar lines, I also assume you’re cutting corners everywhere and not just for the images in your game. I assume your game will be bad because you likely haven’t taken the necessary time to perfect it by applying your human creativity to the project.
I've had booths at several art cons and have seen original artists ignored in favor of groups with prints that are literally shots from Marvel movies with a PS filter slapped on. I feel like AI is the next evolution of that. People with no desire to actually create, but found a grift/profit shortcut
Using AI is such a huge admission of indifference. That you know art matters (else you'd have used stock images) but just don't care enough to value it. Even more frustrating when those same people get upset by the idea of others copying their game design.Using AI is such a huge admission of indifference. That you know art matters (else you'd have used stock images) but just don't care enough to value it. Even more frustrating when those same people get upset by the idea of others copying their game design.
Though understandable, in some ways I find the focus in the hobby on AI replacing artists a distraction from the wider issue. People will use AI for everything, not least writing creative copy. Soon it will replace wider development roles. All creative theft of a sort. What's the position on that?
Forgive me, I’ve spent the week looking at this sort of stuff, and the idea that someone thinks banging out 10 words on a keyboard to spit out a mashed potato salad of stolen art is the same as “creating something”, have lost their way (imnsho).
Same. It's such a let-down and we're seeing it all over the place. I also know there are companies hiring artists for cover work and the artists are handing in genAI work. The whole thing is a mess.
I discussed this this morning here on Bluesky within the German board game bubble. Also on my WhatsApp channel, but unfortunately I can't show the discussion here... Unfortunately, many of the German creators do not position themselves as clearly as many from the English bubble.
To me, a big part of the experience of art is the experience of connecting with the artist. the end product is a reflection of another person/people and that opens up a sense of connection that I can still have to long dead artists as you've shown. And that experience isn't virtuous, it is for me!
What really annoys me as an indie boardgame publisher and makes me angry every time: how many people tell me I need to us AI for art to save costs and stay competitive. It's so disrespectful for my work and and creativity of the artists we work with for our game.
I was so disappointed to skip out on the last Terraforming Mars crowdfunding campaign, but I just couldn't convince myself to throw my money behind them with their AI use. Unfortunately, the campaign was super successful and I felt like it didn't matter.