Recent controversy in the Heartopia community has left many players wondering, does Heartopia use AI? And if so, where? AI is a touchy subject, and a pretty morally grey area, so I’m here to talk you through it and answer it the best as I can… without using AI! On a more fun topic, find out what to expect in the Heartopia My Little Pony Event that is happening soon.
In short, yes. Heartopia has been using generative AI in the game, and many players aren’t happy about it… me included. However, there is more to it than this, so let’s break it down and explain the current situation.
Many players are unhappy with the use of generative AI used in the game, with the main example being the jigsaw puzzles. These feature AI artwork, and the easiest one to spot is one featuring a road in a town. The road curves to the side… but also blends in with the main road. There isn’t a clear path, and the jigsaws feature the yellow tint that AI ‘art’ often has.
Another example of Heartopia using AI is in the promotional videos advertising the game. Here, you see someone playing Heartopia, but looking closer, you’ll see it’s not actually a real person. Sure, at first glance, it may look real, but the ‘person’ you see on screen is fake and completely AI.
This is scary, to say the least, and also pointless. There are countless videos online of real people playing Heartopia, which is more enjoyable to watch. Developers could have easily collaborated with content creators for promotional videos featuring real humans.
The use of AI has been a big topic lately, especially the ethical and moral concerns. Using generative AI is very bad for the environment, and many players suggested that instead of using AI, the Heartopia developers should hold events for art competitions, where players can submit their art instead.
There is also the concern of AI taking jobs in the creative industry, such as artists and writers. Instead of asking an AI to create something, developers should hire freelance artists or commission artists instead. It helps support real and talented artists out there.
The developers and team at Heartopia released an official statement on Discord when players started discussing the AI use in the game.
“AI is used in the puzzle gameplay to reinterpret and redraw in-game snapshot images. AI is used in in-game chat to help players understand different languages. Monetization content in Heartopia does not include AI-generated materials. Should any AI-assisted content be used in the game in the future, it will be announced in advance.”
When the game launched on Steam, a statement was made there. Steam requires developers to share whether AI is used in the game. However, this statement wasn’t made on Steam until a lot later after the release. Essentially, it was never disclosed straight away. The statement was pretty much the same as the one above:
“AI is used in the puzzle gameplay to reinterpret and redraw in-game snapshot images. AI is used in in-game chat to help players understand different languages.”
It’s clear that generative AI has been used in the game and the promotion of Heartopia. Based on the official statement, it seems the developers will at least let players know if they will use AI in the future. The best thing they can do now, in many people’s opinions, is to remove the generative AI that is currently in the game.
Hopefully, due to the backlash, developers won’t be using generative AI again and instead will commission or hire artists to create artwork for them. Or even better, do it themselves and not run it through an AI to create something fake that looks bad.
The post Does Heartopia Use AI? – Recent AI Controversy, Official Statements, and What’s Next appeared first on Gamezebo.
