A scandal has erupted within the Magic the Gathering community, as Wizards of the Coast, the parent company, posted promotional images of Magic cards on Twitter, showcasing the cards arranged on a display shelf against a backdrop created using generative AI. This approach directly contradicts Wizards of the Coast’s previous announcement, which prohibited artists and writers from using AI tools to create Magic the Gathering-related content. Naturally, fans were quick to scrutinize this development (although it’s worth noting that the AI was not used to create the actual cards themselves, only the promotional images).
The controversy only intensified when Wizards initially claimed that the images were crafted by human hands, not AI. Fans were quick to point out the inaccuracies and inconsistencies present in the images, which seemed unlikely to have been created by a human artist. The level of detail was simply too distorted and unnatural to be the work of a person.
Finally, Wizards had no choice but to admit that the images were indeed generated with AI. The company clarified that they were produced using a wizard (pun intended) who relied on AI tools in Photoshop. With this admission, Wizards acknowledged the need to reevaluate their policy regarding the use of AI and find a balance between its utilization and the preservation of human creativity.
TLDR: The Magic the Gathering community was abuzz with controversy when Wizards of the Coast used generative AI to create promotional images, contradicting their previous stance against AI use. Fans noticed the inauthenticity of the images, prompting Wizards to eventually confess that AI was indeed employed. This incident led to a reconsideration of the company’s policy on AI and human-made content.
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