As AI adoption grows around the industry, more and more companies are resorting to using the technology. In the gaming sphere, PlayStation has recently highlighted AI-generated art for its avatars, while the likes of Activision have used AI for calling card art in Call of Duty.
It seems Nintendo is now joining the fray, with its latest social media post raising eyebrows regarding the use of generative AI.
One of Nintendo’s latest posts on Twitter promotes My Mario, a new series of products inspired by the character and his franchise.
Nintendo has used four images to promote the upcoming products, but fans have spotted something unsettling about a few specific pictures. The thumb in the third picture appears oddly bent, and the second picture shows a similar thumb shape when taking a closer look.
Although this alone does not confirm whether these images are AI-generated, it does raise rather interesting suspicions, especially considering the popularity of artificial intelligence in today’s era. Users also appear split on the matter, with some being convinced of the use of AI, while others remain skeptical.
Nintendo has yet to comment on the matter, and knowing the company, it likely won’t acknowledge the criticism at all. Still, this social media post has added to the never-ending discourse regarding generative AI and its impacts on the gaming industry.
Many claim to be extremely disappointed following the discourse, noting that it is slowly becoming impossible to avoid AI.
Besides Nintendo, other Japanese studios like Capcom have also shown an interest in exploring generative AI. Needless to say, gamers can expect to see more and more instances of AI-generated imagery for both games and their marketing.
In fact, it would not be shocking to see the use of artificial intelligence becoming the norm for smaller art in gaming avatars, banners, etc. Here’s hoping companies are more transparent about AI use moving forward.
