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AI has been involved in its fair share of oopsies at this point, and Crimson Desert is the latest to take the hit. As reported by IGN, many players have taken to Reddit to point out likely AI-generated assets since the game's release, and today developer Pearl Abyss shared a statement on X responding to the accusations.
"During development, some 2D visual props were created as part of early-stage iteration using experimental AI generative tools. These assets helped us rapidly explore tone and atmosphere in the earlier phases of production," Pearl Abyss claimed. "However, our intention has always been for any such assets to be replaced, following final work and review by our art and development teams, with work that aligned with our quality standards and creative direction."
The post continues that "reports from our community" alerted the team to assets that weren't meant to stay in the final game and "not in line with our internal standards." If you're getting some deja vu, both the latest Anno game and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 caught similar flak when players spotted AI-generated art in the games. .
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Both Ubisoft and Sandfall offered a similar explanation to Pearl Abyss: Development placeholder, explore tone and atmosphere, not in line with our standards, etc. Divinity and Baldur's Gate studio Larian has defended and subsequently sworn off its use of generative AI for early concepts, and it's clear that there's a growing hunger for proper disclosure wherever AI may be in use.
"We should have clearly disclosed our use of AI," Pearl Abyss said. "While these tools were primarily used during early production, with the expectation that these assets would be replaced prior to release, we recognize that this does not excuse the lack of transparency. We sincerely apologize for these oversights."
The team is "currently conducting a comprehensive audit of all in-game assets" and the plan is to replace any AI art in upcoming patches.
Justin first became enamored with PC gaming when World of Warcraft and Neverwinter Nights 2 rewired his brain as a wide-eyed kid. As time has passed, he's amassed a hefty backlog of retro shooters, CRPGs, and janky '90s esoterica. Whether he's extolling the virtues of Shenmue or troubleshooting some fiddly old MMO, it's hard to get his mind off games with more ambition than scruples. When he's not at his keyboard, he's probably birdwatching or daydreaming about a glorious comeback for real-time with pause combat. Any day now...
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