Call of Duty Black Ops 7 Appears to Use AI Generated Art for In Game Rewards By all appearances, Call of Duty Black Ops 7 features a not insignificant amount of AI generated art. The games over 680 Calling Cards, which are collectible backgrounds earned through in game achievements or purchases, appear to be the main offenders. The art on these cards imitates the knockoff animation style commonly associated with AI generators like ChatGPT. While it is difficult to authoritatively claim that Studio Ghibli inspired illustrations are a smoking gun, the Calling Cards players have spotted do at the very least seem unpolished for a splashy 70 dollar game. This observation is bolstered by an official disclosure from Activision on the Black Ops 7 Steam page, where the company confirmed that the development team used generative AI tools to help develop some in game assets. This statement certainly will not dissuade anyones suspicions. In a statement to media outlets, Activision did not deny the possibility of AI use. The company noted that AI was one of several digital tools it used to empower and support our teams to create the best gaming experiences possible for our players. The use of AI generated art, or at least AI art edited by a human, could represent a significant cost saving measure for Activision and developer Treyarch during the games development. However, it is also possible that these in game rewards look strange simply because they were made in the rush to get the game out the door. Call of Duty Black Ops 7 holds the honor of being the first title in the franchise to launch day one on Xbox Game Pass. This is one way Microsoft hopes to justify the subscriptions recent price hike. The discovery that the game features AI generated assets might dampen some players excitement for this major release. That said, for many players, Black Ops 7s campaign presents a more pressing issue. The campaign requires a constant internet connection to run because it was designed to be played in a squad of four. A significant point of contention is that even if you play with in game bots, you still cannot pause the game, a design choice that has drawn considerable criticism from the community. The debate over AI art now adds another layer of controversy to one of the years biggest game launches.
