Understandable AI paranoia has inspired a developer to change the handcrafted character art in its upcoming sim: 'They look a bit AI'

Transport Fever 3 preview — (Image credit: Urban Games)

Generative AI sucks for so many reasons, from its impact on the environment to the skyrocketing cost of RAM, but in my day-to-day life the most frustrating side effect is that whenever I look at an image online, a piece of art, or even a video, I have to wonder if someone's trying to pull the wool over my eyes.

We've had to become extra vigilant, paranoid even, to keep out AI slop. There's even a subreddit dedicated to people asking, "Is this AI?" And this is why Transport Fever 3 developer Urban Games is making some changes to its sim's character art.

He was shiny, uncanny and weirdly smooth. There were none of the imperfections usually associated with AI art—no inconsistencies, no blurry patterns on his clothes, no freakishly malformed hands or teeth. But he, and all the other characters, still had an aesthetic that so many pieces of AI-generated character art end up with—and it was offputting.

Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.

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