Crimson Desert features generative AI (genAI) art assets in the final build of the game that released to everyone just yesterday. While I have yet to see the obvious genAI art assets myself, several examples have already been posted to social media and Reddit across a number of discussion threads.
According to some media outlets, there is "debate" about if the assets were made with generative AI or not. I'll be perfectly blunt here and say that there should be no debate about it: It's pretty damn obvious that these assets were created by genAI.
One of the most egrigious examples can be found above. The in-game painting shows obvious telltale signs of being created with genAI: Additional limbs on animals and humans. Severely morphed facial features. Humans and animals morphing together into disfigured amorphous blobs. And so on.
It's not even "good" genAI either (though there is no "good" genAI). This looks to be the output from the earlier genAI creation tools that started to slop up the Internet years ago.
Several other examples of genAI art assets were found by others and compiled into a small list by IGN. Several of the images suggest the use of early genAI. You'll see missing, additional, or morphed fingers. You'll see objects merging and blending with others. You'll see morphed facial features. You'll see oddly scaled proportions, and the list just goes on.
As if the use of generative AI wasn't bad enough, there is also zero disclosure on the Crimson Desert Steam page that the game uses generative AI. According to Valve's own policies on the use of genAI, there should absolutely be a disclosure on the Crimson Desert page about genAI being used for pre-generated content that is included in the final public build.
Developer Pearl Abyss very briefly had the box checked on Steam that said the game included genAI work. That wordless disclosure lasted all of an hour before being removed.
I really have to wonder if either Valve or Pearl Abyss will do anything about this. This wouldn't be the first time a game on Steam willfully or accidentally failed to disclose the use of genAI. Notable examples being big titles such as The Alters and even Clair Obscure: Expedition 33. Both of these titles did not disclose nor address the issues until called out by fans.
Valve also needs better tools to allow users to report games that do not disclose the use of genAI assets. I'm talking about an option to report a game directly from their Steam Store page. At the very least Valve has a report function built into the Steam Overlay for report genAI assets, but it's not enough. Meanwhile, Pearl Abyss should incorporate actual, human made art assets into the game instead of that obvious AI created garbage.
