Crimson Desert developer apologizes for ‘accidental’ inclusion of AI art, promises ‘comprehensive audit’

Crimson Desert developer Pearl Abyss has apologized for generative AI artwork it says was accidentally included in the action adventure game.

Since the game’s release on Friday, players reported finding what they believed to be generative AI art in the form of multiple in-game paintings.

In a statement, Pearl Abyss has since confirmed the suspicions, claiming the art was “unintentionally included” and was originally intended to be replaced during development.

“During development, some 2D visual props were created as part of early-stage iteration using experimental AI generative tools,” it wrote on social media. “These assets helped us rapidly explore tone and atmosphere in the earlier phases of production.

“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.”

It added: “Following reports from our community, we have identified that some of these assets were unintentionally included in the final release. This is not in line with our internal standards, and we take full responsibility for it.

“We also acknowledge that we should have clearly disclosed our use of AI. 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.”

According to Pearl Abyss, its team will be conducting a “comprehensive audit” of all in-game assets and taking steps to replace any generative AI content. Updated assets will be rolled out in upcoming patches, it said.

Some questioned why Crimson Desert’s developer needed to apologize for using generative AI, with former Blizzard boss Mike Ybarra writing: “Why apologize? AI, in one form or another, will be in every single video game. I don’t get why devs feel the need to bend over for the few folks who can’t accept the reality that AI will be in every single thing – from video games to your fridge (it already is).”

The use of generative AI in video games remains a contentious topic, with many players arguing it shouldn’t replace original creative ideas.

However, the use of AI for game development appears to be increasing. Steam games disclosing the use of generative AI had increased by 800% as of last summer, according to an analysis of generative AI games on Steam by Totally Human, which suggests that nearly 8,000 titles released on Steam now disclose GenAI usage.