Activision confirms AI in Black Ops 6 after backlash

Activision, the studio behind Call of Duty, has officially acknowledged using generative AI in developing Black Ops 6, following months of player speculation about "AI-generated" content in the game.

The controversy began in December when Season 1 Reloaded players spotted suspicious elements in Black Ops 6's loading screens, promotional art, and event explainers – particularly a Zombie Santa ("Necroclaus") image showing potential extra fingers, a common AI generation error.

Further scrutiny revealed a Zombies event graphic featuring a gloved hand with possible digit anomalies, fueling community concerns about AI-generated assets being used in premium content.

The backlash prompted Reddit user Shaun_LaDee to analyze paid bundle content, identifying several problematic images that sparked deeper concerns about Activision's AI usage in monetized content.

Amid the 6 fingered Santa Controversy, I looked into some loading screens included in PAID bundles... byu/Shaun_LaDee inCODZombies

Following Steam's new AI disclosure requirements, Activision has added a broad disclaimer to Black Ops 6's page: "Our team uses generative AI tools to help develop some in game assets."

This revelation follows Wired's July 2024 report about Activision previously selling an unlabeled AI-generated cosmetic in Modern Warfare 3's Yokai's Wrath bundle, valued at approximately $15. The report also noted Microsoft's post-acquisition layoffs of 1,900 Activision Blizzard employees, including many 2D artists.

Anonymous sources alleged remaining concept artists were required to use AI in their workflow after the layoffs, with mandatory AI training implemented company-wide.

The gaming industry's increasing AI adoption continues generating controversy, with critics citing ethical concerns, copyright issues, and questionable output quality. A recent AI-only game experiment by Keywords Studios notably failed, with developers admitting AI couldn't replace human creativity.