Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Sparks Debate Over AI Art

What’s the Deal with Black Ops 7?

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 has officially dropped, and guess what? We’ve jumped headfirst into another AI art debacle. Yup, it’s true! While I can’t guarantee that AI-generated images are abound in this game, a whole lot of players are raising their eyebrows and shaking their heads, and it’s easy to see why.

Fan reactions are erupting all over social media. It seems the hot topic is the calling card images, which have a distinctive flair reminiscent of Studio Ghibli style. Seriously, who thought it was a good idea to mix war and whimsical animation?

Flaming Hot Takes from Fans

Take a stroll through the cacophony of comments on platforms like X and Reddit, and you’ll see folks either cracking up or crying over the absurdity. One gamer expressed, “They have AI Ghibli calling cards for the campaign in Bo7, man, this is so funny!” It’s like someone decided to sprinkle a bit of ‘My Neighbor Totoro’ on their military ops, and people are not holding back on sharing their thoughts.

Another gamer shared their confusion, asking, “Why on earth would you use Ghibli-style images in Call of Duty?” Great question, buddy! Fallout has done absurd mash-ups forever, but Black Ops? That’s a new twist in the oddity game.

Remember the last season? Activision was already under scrutiny for whipping out generative AI to create some game elements. While those visuals were more grounded (if you can call it that), the Ghibli-style art seems to scream, “Look at me! I don’t care if this is confusing!” Well, aren’t they bold?

Activision, in their classic corporate fashion, has been pretty relaxed about admitting they use AI. They even threw up a cheeky message on the game’s Steam page:
“Our team uses generative AI tools to help develop some in-game assets.” Which, let’s be honest, tells us approximately nothing!

So, why the urge for clarity? Well, this peek behind the curtain leaves many players wondering whether these vibrant Ghibli-style images were crafted by an actual human hand or quickly generated by a soulless algorithm. A valid concern, don’t you think?

As I try wrangling more direct responses from Activision, I’m not holding my breath. But who knows? Maybe this will turn into yet another chapter in the ongoing saga of AI art and the artists behind it. Until then, let’s buckle up for the wild ride that is Black Ops 7!