Call of Duty Incorporates AI-Generated Assets

Activision and the team behind the colossal Call of Duty franchise have recently confirmed what has been buzzing in the gaming community for a while: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone are now featuring AI-generated content.

During the first season “Merry Mayhem” event for Black Ops 6, gamers noticed something strange. A loading screen depicted a zombie Santa with a peculiar feature—six fingers. It’s a telltale sign of AI-created artwork. With further exploration, it turned out that a slew of in-game elements, such as loading screens, weapon decals, and player cards, either as rewards or for purchase, were suspected of being AI-generated.

Back then, Activision didn’t address these growing suspicions, even as player discontent started to bubble over. Reddit users voiced their annoyance, expressing frustration about being presented with “AI Slop” in a high-priced AAA game, already brimming with battle passes, event passes, and cosmetic microtransactions.

Then came the big reveal: Activision admitted to using generative AI tools to craft some in-game assets. This acknowledgment came amid the new AI disclosure policies introduced by Steam. It wasn’t just in-game content, either—this AI touch extended to holiday social media posts crafted by Infinity Ward and Treyarch. Activision’s talent search even included positions that specifically sought skills in generative AI, reflecting the trend.

Activision has also been open about its initiatives with AI, notably partnering with Modulate, which offers AI-powered chat moderation tools, already in effect in Black Ops 6 since its launch. It’s clear the company is diving headfirst into AI, impacting various facets of their games.

Call of Duty continues to be at the fingertips of gamers worldwide, with availability on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC platforms like Battle.net, the Microsoft Store, and Steam—all now embracing AI-generated content following Steam’s policy update.

While these new policies mean generative AI can play a role in game development, they could also spell trouble for publishers like Activision. The U.S. Copyright Office recently clarified that AI-generated content doesn’t qualify for copyright protection, even if it’s designed to assist human creativity. Content made with AI needs to be adjusted or finalized by a human to secure copyright protection.

This policy doesn’t hinder the use of AI for incomplete works, allowing developers to use it as a starting point, only needing a human touch for finalization. But for things like loading screens or weapon designs appearing in their raw AI-generated form, they might not qualify for protection unless altered by an artist.

In the face of backlash, there’s slim hope Activision will retreat. Under the Microsoft umbrella, its commitment to AI is steadfast, as evidenced by the launch of Xbox’s new AI tool, Muse. Though many in the gaming industry raise concerns, the big players continue to see AI as pivotal for the future of gaming, showing no sign of slowing down.