Call of Duty publisher Activision has been blasted over its use of cheap AI once again, this time for a clearly-generated piece of artwork designed to announce a new Guitar Hero game for smartphones.
You’d think that the announcement of a new entry in the legendary Guitar Hero series would be worth… I don’t know, paying an artist to put something original together.
Instead, the first announcement of Guitar Hero Mobile, posted to Activision’s Instagram, comes with its logo splashed over some weird AI backdrop, where four suspiciously-similar silhouettes hold red guitars in identical poses surrounded by towers of amps that look like washing machines.
But clearly this is fine now, apparently, because it’s only been a week since Activision admitted it had begun using cheap-looking AI artwork for its flagship Call of Duty franchise.
Players spotted a note from Activision confirming Call of Duty “uses generative AI tools to help develop some in-game assets” that was belatedly added to the Steam page for Black Ops 6.
As well as AI-generated in-game calling card 2D art assets, Black Ops 6 promotional artwork used last Christmas featured a Santa Claus zombie with six fingers. Maybe they should get him in Guitar Hero, he might be pretty good at it.
Response to Activision’s new Guitar Hero Mobile ad is as you’d expect.
“AI Hero looks awesome 🔥” reads one comment.
“I was actually excited, but then I saw the cover it’s made out of AI, so I won’t touch this, sorry,” wrote another.
“Ruin my fav game with AI slop,” said a third, “I hope Activision falls over dude.”
Earlier this month, Microsoft unveiled its new Muse AI tool designed to aid “gameplay ideation” and the preservation of older video games, supposedly – a claim one expert branded as “idiotic”.
