MTG: WotC Issues Statement About AI Art
AI art has been the topic of much debate in recent years, and now Wizards of the Coast is making their position known.
Love it or hate it, it seems AI art is an issue that will be here for some time. Proponents of the technology support AI for the ability to create anything they imagine with just a few button clicks, eliminating the need for an artist. Detractors note the obvious drawback of AI taking money from artists, plus the thorny issue that the AI has to learn its art from somewhere – real artists. Artists across the world have claimed their art was used without their permission to generate images, and high stakes litigation is already underway regarding this exact issue.
The gaming industry has been embroiled in the AI debate for some time. Some companies view it as the next logical step, trying to cut costs. Others are trying to maintain their real world artist body of work by avoiding it. Smack in the middle is Wizards of the Coast.
AI and the Multiverse
Not too long ago, Wizards came under fire for a D&D sourcebook Glory of the Giants that contained AI art. They responded quickly, issuing a statement that they would update their guidelines to prevent AI in future publications. However, the book was already printed to ship, so the answer was a promise to do better in the future. Then came Ixalan…
Art Theft Hits Magic The Gathering
Many still claim that AI artwork generators steals the work of artists and repurposes it for the end user. That is basically what happened during the Lost Caverns of Ixalan. A prominent artist claimed one of their drawings was used as a background for card art. When the card artist was approached, he admitted to using the art, and stepped down from WotC. Of course, this wasn’t the same as complete AI art generation, but it did leave a bad impression with many. Was WotC not vetting their artists well enough? They swiftly cut ties, but the damage had been done.
WotC’s Definitive AI Statement
On December 19th, WotC took its definitive stand on AI art. They stated that their focus was working with talented artists to create stunning original work, and that AI wasn’t part of that. On their DailyMTG website, they released the following:
For 30 years, Magic: The Gathering has been built on the innovation, ingenuity, and hard work of talented people who sculpt a beautiful, creative game. That isn’t changing. Our internal guidelines remain the same with regard to artificial intelligence tools: We require artists, writers, and creatives contributing to the Magic TCG to refrain from using AI generative tools to create final Magic products. We work with some of the most talented artists and creatives in the world, and we believe those people are what makes Magic great.
Wizards of the coast
This clear cut statement makes it black and white that WotC is committed to using only real world artists, writers, and creatives, and to require them to NOT use AI generation tools in the making of MTG products.
What are your thoughts on AI?
