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[IbizaPocholo]

Blizzard Clarifies Use of AI After Patent Surfaces [UPDATED]

Blizzard unveils a patent that aims to use artwork generated by machine learning models with AI in an effort to flesh out game worlds.

gamerant.com

Blizzard has devised a patent for a new system involving graphic AI generation, which is set to make it easier for the developers to create art that will help to flesh out the worlds in their games. The text in the patent is very complex, but explaining it in a straightforward way, it’s a system to teach the machine a specific art style via emulation of images that already exist. First, it uses an initial input to automatically generate a structured image. Then, it transfers the models taught to the machine to the image, generating a texture. Finally, they are combined with a “moderate amount of detail.” This would greatly save time and labor when devising sprawling virtual worlds.

What makes the technology controversial, however, is how systems that operate via machine learning often use other art in their training models. So, Blizzard would need to use real-life artwork to train its model. At the moment, there’s a huge debate on how much of this is actually legal if the material used in the training is copyrighted. So, it’s not unrealistic to expect more discussions surrounding this technology in the future, as it may diminish jobs and even have legal consequences.

 

[Magic Carpet]

If it finally removes repeated tiles textures I am for it.

 

[Punished Miku]

Procedural generation, with a twist!

 

[Solidus_T]

Spicy repeated tiles

 

[AJUMP23]

Use the art you own to generate the art you need.

Stardock is already generating AI aliens using user prompts.

 

[The Cockatrice]

Artists are going to need to look for jobs sooner than expected which sucks. I'd rather want AI to replace game journalists instead.

 

[Roman Empire]

It all comes down to how the technology will be used. If it helps to ease up the load on artists with menial tasks so they can work on other things more worthy of their time then I'm all for it.

 

[SportsFan581]

Interesting. As long as the end-user can't tell the difference I guess it might save time while allowing for more unique looking details.

 

[ReBurn]

Artists are going to need to look for jobs sooner than expected which sucks. I'd rather want AI to replace game journalists instead.

Twitter, YouTube and Twitch already replaced game journalists. They just haven't all caught on yet.

 

[Spyxos]

Sooner or later, everyone will do it.

 

[Maestr0]

We don't need to be human anymore

 

[CGNoire]

If it finally removes repeated tiles textures I am for it.

We can already do that easily.

 

[FunkMiller]

ChatGPT write me a poem about sexual abuse allegations at activision blizzard:

In Activision Blizzard's realm of play, A haunting truth emerged one day. Allegations surfaced, grievous and grim, Of sexual abuse, a harrowing hymn. Brave souls stepped forth, their voices pure, Shattering silence, seeking a cure. Their stories heard, a rallying cry, To hold perpetrators, no place to hide. We stand united, hearts ablaze, Demanding justice, brighter days. For every survivor, healing we seek, Together we rise, with strength and critique.

 

[SeraphJan]

Every Dev team will use AI, why not

 

[01011001]

I bet no artist wants to take a significant amount of time to make a generic stone wall texture.
so using AI to make those be more varied and easy to do makes sense

 

[TheDreadBaron]

I bet no artist wants to take a significant amount of time to make a generic stone wall texture.
so using AI to make those be more varied and easy to do makes sense

Ah yes, the essence of artistic expression, efficiency. I mean it’s true, most people are happy to replace tedious tasks with automation, but the logical conclusion of this race to replace is artists aren’t creating art anymore, they’re at most directing an AI to assemble it for them. Great for Blizz corporate management in the short term, until they are replaced by AI shortly afterwards. I’d like to keep my human dignity and labor over the pixels personally.

 

[01011001]

Ah yes, the essence of artistic expression, efficiency. I mean it’s true, most people are happy to replace tedious tasks with automation, but the logical conclusion of this race to replace is artists aren’t creating art anymore, they’re at most directing an AI to assemble it for them. Great for Blizz corporate management in the short term, until they are replaced by AI shortly afterwards. I’d like to keep my human dignity and labor over the pixels personally.

we don't yet know how far Devs will go with this

but... well in this specific case efficiency is already the driving factor.

in most games these days the bulk of the textures are just sightly edited photos.
and they have been for a long time, as I'm sure many will remember the whole RE4 debacle with unlicenced photos being used for many of the textures.

so having bespoke™ textures that aren't generic photos would actually be an improvement in almost every way.

there were basically no artists involved in the first place, and the textures were often generic and repeated in some games.


a related video showing that almost no textures in Mario 64 for example, were actually made for the game, they mostly come from an old Stock Texture CD, and showing s specific cobble stone texture that had been used in dozens of unrelated games

 

[Cyberpunkd]

So, Blizzard would need to use real-life artwork to train its model. At the moment, there’s a huge debate on how much of this is actually legal if the material used in the training is copyrighted.

I am sure when it comes to artwork created by Blizzard employees they all sign off the copyright of their work to Blizzard automatically as stipulated in their contract. Same for freelancers.

 

[Come On Tars]

Artists are going to need to look for jobs sooner than expected which sucks. I'd rather want AI to replace game journalists instead.

it'll get the shit ones out easily. Barring few expections the market didn't want them before ai anyways.

 

[Represent.]

Sad.

 

[ZoukGalaxy]

Artists are going to need to look for jobs sooner than expected which sucks. I'd rather want AI to replace game journalists instead.

Impossible.

Brain are not required for this job.

 

[Solarstrike]

 

[Dr. Suchong]

What a miserable, synthetic future for us all.
So depressing.

 

[STARSBarry]

I can see Blizzard using it as a tool to make infinite bowl's of fruit to replace all the women in the game with.

 

[mdkirby]

Erm how is this in any way patentable. It literally looks like they are trying to patent how generative art ai can and does already work.

 

[Salty Popsicle]

All current blue and white collars workers in 10 to 15 years when AI replaces everyone's work...

 

[TheDreadBaron]

I am sure when it comes to artwork created by Blizzard employees they all sign off the copyright of their work to Blizzard automatically as stipulated in their contract. Same for freelancers.

That’s true, they can just train their models on their own blizzard catalogue and have their AI create *blizzard style dark fantasy orc warrior woman huge tits* and call it a day, thanks for all your hard work former employees.

 

[DeltaPolarBear]

Sony already use AI to generate environments in Horizon Zero Dawn. it's just that real humans give it a once-over to make sure it is okay.

The most important aspect of this is to allow faster game production as games take too long to make these days. You really shouldn't need an army of artists, have a few designers should be enough who knows what they want, and grunt work replaced by machines. You obviously can't replace the head designers themselves as you would end up with a jumbled mess.

 

[Bonfires Down]

Can’t wait until I can have my own AI generated gaming forum. Not even kidding.

 

[Esca]

I can say as a former texture artist like every artist and studio I knew we all had large collections of pre made textures or pictures for common things and would use it as base to start from quickly and customize from there.

 

[Three]

I don't like this for creating textures at the studio to replace artists but if it can generate textures locally from a loading screen and reduce file sizes that's actually useful. Imagine just having a monochromatic 2bit image that can generate cobblestone. You could get some insanely small file sizes.

 

[recursive]

Artists are going to need to look for jobs sooner than expected which sucks. I'd rather want AI to replace game journalists instead.

Better to just retire journalists. They have not been relevant for more than a decade.

 

[Clear]

Yeah, nope. This isn't going to work, and here's why:

If the algorithm spits out a result that closely resembles somebody's copyrighted work, I highly doubt that the method of its generation is going to offer a convincing defence against plagiarism/infringement in a court of law.

You can't just touch-up someone else's art and call it your own, much less a machine.

 

[Deerock71]

Use the art you own to generate the art you need.

Stardock is already generating AI aliens using user prompts.

 

[Vaelka]

Artists are going to need to look for jobs sooner than expected which sucks. I'd rather want AI to replace game journalists instead.

A pretty important thing that is being a bit ignored in all of this ( probably due to ignorance of how these jobs actually work ), is that a lot of these '' repetitive jobs '' are extremely important for people to get a foot in the door or whatever the expression is.
A lot of these '' easy art jobs '' are what trainees who got their first gig end up working on under the supervision of more experienced artists who tutor them.
It's how artists in the industry are trained and get to grow and garner some experience before moving on to more complex work.

The problem is that if you automate these jobs then those entry positions become obsolete and artists don't receive that important tutoring and experience that enables them to grow.
So you'd end up with stagnation and less experienced people in higher positions in the end.

This is a more nuanced issue than just '' the more easy jobs you can automate the better '', those easy jobs are extremely important for people to be given a chance to get a foot inside the industry and to get actual experience.
ESPECIALLY for young people, and this goes for a lot of industries not just art.
You need those lower level entry positions with '' easy jobs '', you need them to train and build up higher skilled professionals.
When they go away or change in a way where learning isn't required anymore then it will harm industries long-term and create a massive talent drought.

What a miserable, synthetic future for us all.
So depressing.

I think this tweet says everything.
The actual people affected who work in these industries don't want this.
It's basically being forced on people by tech bros in Silicon Valley.



It's what frustrates me so much about ai '' supporters '' trying to tell people what the future will and should be when they don't even work in said fields themselves.
They never listen to what actual artists are saying, it's essentially an outside force stealing peoples work and then forcing themselves into their industry to replace them.