Destiny 2 Scandal: AI Illustration Won TWAB Art of the Week
The Destiny 2 gaming community is in an uproar over the recent AI art controversy. The AI-generated “Guardian Rendition” was selected as a winner in Bungie’s “Art of the Week” contest. Thus, a heated debate has sparked between traditional artists and those who support the use of AI in art creation.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT?
Traditional artists argue AI takes away from the soul and craft of human art. Initially, art-related AI was designed to aid artists and inspire creativity. But over time, more and more people started creating “AI art.” By inputting a prompt, various artists’ styles are synthesized accordingly to create a product in a matter of minutes. While that, developing a unique style and mastering the craft of art take years of dedication and effort. Yet, their hard-earned results are now free for thousands of people to use, devalued by AI art. One notable case is Hollie Mengert, whose painting style has been appropriated. Or Samdoesart, a famous art YouTuber who got cyber-bullied for speaking out against the unauthorized use of his style in AI creations.
Nonetheless, many see no harm in using AI for art creation. They consider it to be significant progress in technology. They speak of how much time and effort the AI saves them and how creating enticing illustrations is now available to all. Even to those who have never drawn or painted before. Some even call the original artists “selfish” for getting upset over others using their art style for free without their consent.
WHAT GAVE AWAY THIS IS AN AI-MADE?
The Destiny 2 Community Managers selecting the winning piece was unaware of its AI origins. After all, “Guardian Rendition” almost escaped every trait one may recognize as AI-made. But artists and those familiar with AI art can definitely spot the differences.
WEIRD HANDS
The first AI art’s trademark is the weird hands. Just like humans, AIs also struggle with drawing hands. You can see the fingers are clearly deformed. And on the Guardian’s right hand, there are six fingers, with the pinky curling to their palm.
THE BACKPACK
On Forbes, Paul Tassi even pointed out that the Guardian in the painting has the hunter hood. But the entire get-up is likely based on prompts like “sci-fi.” As AI always tries to put astronaut-like backpacks on the characters with such prompts.
Usually, you can spot AI art by its soullessness, incorrect body portions, weird compositions, unclear facial features, and its use of colors. But in cases with great prompts that create a stylized production like this one, the AI has done an excellent job of being indistinguishable.
WHAT IS BUNGIE’S REACTION?
The ruling from the game developers, Bungie, is eagerly awaited by the Destiny 2 community. But as the scandal happened on the weekend, you may need to wait until they settle said controversial issue.
SO… WHAT’S NEXT?
Some players have come up with various solutions to prevent the same scenarios from happening:
- Disqualify the piece and any other AI ones in the future
- Ban AI art from contests for fans
- Learn to differentiate AI art from the human one
But in the end, these are just short-term solutions. The art-related AIs are being fed more and more art pieces from a plethora of artists every day. They are still evolving. And one day, when there are no more deformed fingers or weird traits to look at, we may never realize which piece is AI-made and which is human-made anymore.
USE AI WITH CARE AND RESPONSIBILITY
The rapid growth of AI has raised concerns about its impact on society and the job market. While AI has been a valuable tool in many industries, some have expressed worries about its potential to replace human creativity and imagination. Recently, AI programs have been developed to create paintings, essays, poems, and even codes. It causes professionals to fear for their livelihoods. The use of AI in the creative arts has sparked a debate about its ethics and impact on the industry. Clear regulations and guidelines are necessary to responsibly use AI, with consequences for those who misuse it to exploit artists’ styles without their consent, as well as to protect the original creators from having their brain-children stolen. While AI can certainly produce impressive works, it’s crucial to acknowledge that the real value of art lies in the unique perspectives and emotions only a human may bring.
It’s essential to use AI responsibly, keeping in mind its capabilities and limitations. AI should be used as an assistant, not a substitute, to enhance human skills and abilities, not replace them. Overreliance on AI could lead to a loss of motivation and creativity in society. Ultimately, humans may find no use in learning, feeling, or trying anymore. And when that day comes, what will be left of humanity?
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