Arc Raiders: Game in AI debate in running for top Bafta award
The use of AI-based tools in game development is not new, but it has become a bigger topic since generative AI (GenAI) - the technology behind products such as ChatGPT - became more prominent.As in other industries, it has prompted fears of job losses, and accusations of stealing artists' work without permission to train models.In the video game industry, which has seen record numbers of layoffs in recent years, those worries are heightened. Players and reviewers complained that Arc Raiders' generated voice lines were lower quality than those delivered by human actors, and also expressed worries over performers losing out on work.A year-long strike over AI protections for video game actors ended in July this year, with fears over replicating performances without consent being the main sticking point. Embark Studios has insisted it has not used GenAI in Arc Raiders, and that it does not wish to eliminate humans from its development process.Its co-founder, Stefan Strandberg, told website GamesRadar+, external AI techniques have allowed the studio to work more efficiently while keeping its core team size small.Other games in the longlist have also been criticised by fans for using AI in development.The Alters, which appears in the performance and narrative categories, was found to have used AI translation, while early versions of Clair Obscur contained generated textures.In both cases, developers said the resulting text and images were placeholders never intended to appear in the final releases.
