Controversy Arises as AI-Generated Art Appears in Dungeons & Dragons Book
One of the artists working on Dungeons & Dragons’ newest book, “Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants!”, has come under fire for incorporating AI-generated art without proper disclosure. Ilya Shkipin, the artist in question, admitted to utilizing AI to enhance certain details and editing aspects of the artwork. However, screenshots of his now-deleted posts have surfaced, shedding light on the controversy.
Shkipin acknowledged that although many painted elements were “enhanced with AI rather than generated from the ground up,” AI-generated images were indeed included in the book. What remains uncertain is whether anyone involved in the production of “Bigby Presents” was aware of Shkipin’s use of AI-generated art.
Additional screenshots obtained by io9 corroborate Shkipin’s reliance on AI art generators during the development of the artwork. At the time, he claimed that the quality of the generators was not sufficient for generating complete images, emphasizing that the final result was primarily digitally painted.
Notably, Shkipin is known for his use of AI art generators and operates an NFT marketplace on superrare. This puts him at odds with many members of the Dungeons & Dragons and TTRPG communities who are critical of both NFTs and AI-generated art. Shkipin previously shared early sketches on a social media platform, demonstrating how he used them as prompts for the AI generators.
According to a source from Wizards of the Coast, the team responsible for the book, Shkipin’s use of AI art was unbeknownst to them. Furthermore, they clarified that no text within the book was AI-generated. Wizards of the Coast has pledged to update its guidelines to explicitly prevent such incidents in the future.
The io9 news outlet has reached out to Ilya Shkipin for further clarification and comment on the matter. Shkipin has acknowledged the controversy on social media, mentioning that “the future of today’s illustrations is being discussed.”
As this controversy unfolds, it demonstrates the ongoing debate surrounding the role of AI in creative industries like gaming and art. The use of AI-generated art raises questions about authorship and transparency. Dungeons & Dragons enthusiasts and artists alike are closely observing how this situation will shape the future of the industry.
In related news, io9 also provides updates on the latest releases from Marvel, Star Wars, Star Trek, the future of the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything related to the beloved series Doctor Who.