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Wizards of the Coast Acknowledges AI Art Controversy

Responding to the latest AI art controversy, Wizards of the Coast admits to inadvertently using AI-generated art in recent marketing, contradicting its anti-AI art stance.
Wizards of the Coast Acknowledges AI Art Controversy

Highlights

  • Wizards of the Coast inadvertently used AI art in a recent Magic: The Gathering marketing campaign, contradicting its pledge against AI artwork.
  • Initially denying the use of AI art and asserting hand-drawn images, the company later confessed to the mistake and acknowledged the incorporation of AI elements.
  • This incident contributes to a series of controversies involving Wizards of the Coast, including recent layoffs and previous AI art disputes, straining its rapport with fans.

Wizards of the Coast has recently admitted to unintentionally featuring AI-generated art in a recent Magic: The Gathering marketing campaign. This revelation emerged shortly after the company reaffirmed its commitment to refrain from employing AI artwork.

Notably, Wizards of the Coast unveiled previews of Magic: The Gathering cards from the Ravnica Remastered set against steampunk backdrops. Observant fans noticed discrepancies and intricacies in the backgrounds that appeared to be AI-generated, prompting accusations of a breach in the company's anti-AI art promise. Initially, Wizards of the Coast insisted that the art was hand-drawn and claimed to have verified this with the artist.

However, it appears that the company acknowledged the accuracy of fans' observations shortly after. Via an official thread on Magic: The Gathering Twitter, Wizards of the Coast admitted its error. According to the statement, AI components from industry tools were unintentionally utilized by the vendor to create the ads. The company reiterated its opposition to AI art and expanded its commitment to prohibit the use of this technology in both marketing visuals and final products.

Recent Timeline of Wizards of the Coast Controversies

  • January 2023: Wizards of the Coast introduced a restrictive Open Gaming License draft for Dungeons and Dragons, provoking backlash from third-party content creators, leading to its eventual rejection.
  • April 2023: Magic: The Gathering dispatched agents to retrieve cards sent ahead of schedule to a fan.
  • August 2023: Wizards of the Coast released AI art in Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants, later replacing it with hand-drawn artwork.
  • December 2023:
    • Hasbro initiated the layoff of 1,100 employees, including a significant number from Wizards of the Coast.
    • Wizards of the Coast reiterated its opposition to AI art following an erroneous accusation regarding new Dungeons and Dragons Player’s Handbook art.

  • January 2024: An advertisement for Magic: The Gathering featured AI-generated art.

Over the past year, Wizards of the Coast has experienced a decline in approval from its audience. The D&D OGL dispute, the Pinkerton MTG episode, the Hasbro layoffs, and multiple AI art controversies have contributed to the company's recent negative publicity. The most recent incident only adds to the accumulating grievances against the company.

Undoubtedly, the current sentiment towards Magic: The Gathering is unfavorable. While the company's commitment against AI art offers a glimmer of hope to some, the recurrent use of AI art raises concerns. To regain the trust of its fans in the future, the company will need to exercise vigilance moving forward.

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