Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 AI Art Controversy Sparks Congressional Call for Regulation

AI Use in 'Call of Duty: Black Ops 7' Draws Fire From US Lawmaker

The use of AI in the latest Call of Duty has prompted a US lawmaker to call for regulations to prevent artificial intelligence from taking jobs away from human workers. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who represents a large swathe of Silicon Valley, took aim at Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 after buyers noticed the popular shooter contains a significant amount of AI-generated icons, posters, and achievements. Gamers are criticizing it as filled with "AI slop." On Friday, Khanna tweeted: "We need regulations that prevent companies from using AI to eliminate jobs to extract greater profits." He added, "Artists at these companies need to have a say in how AI is deployed. They should share in the profits. And there should be a tax on mass displacement." Call of Duty studio Activision Blizzard, which Microsoft now owns, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. However, a growing number of US lawmakers are looking to curb AI's impact on human jobs. Earlier this month, two US senators introduced legislation to require US companies to report AI-related job losses to the federal government in an effort to track the technology's impact on employment. On the other hand, gaming companies view AI as a way to streamline game development. On X, David Friedberg, who cohosts the All-In business podcast, argued that AI could unlock new, higher-paying jobs. "By trying to prevent organizational evolution due to technology, you are limiting technology's ability to create more value for workers," he wrote. "No one is saying that AI may not help with entrepreneurs or small business or medicine," Khanna responded. "But we cannot allow it to further the income divide and regional divide that is tearing this country apart. There is a way to make sure AI benefits society without repeating the mistakes of unfettered globalization." "As soon as the gov't creates 'taxes on automation,' it shackles workers to old jobs," Friedberg tweeted in response. He also argued that a game designer could one day leverage AI to help them compete against large video game studios. In the meantime, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 has received an overwhelmingly negative response based on user reviews on Metacritic.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 appears to feature AI-generated art assets

By all appearances, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 features a not insignificant amount of AI-generated art, Kotaku reports. The game's over 680 Calling Cards -- collectible backgrounds earned through in-game achievements or purchases -- appear to be the main offenders, featuring art that imitates the knockoff animation style of ChatGPT. While it's hard to authoritatively claim that Studio Ghibli-inspired illustrations are a smoking gun, the Calling Cards players have spotted do at the very least seem unpolished for a splashy $70 game. Activision has also confirmed that the game's development team used "generative AI tools to help develop some in-game assets" in a disclosure on the Black Ops 7 Steam page, which certainly won't dissuade anyone's suspicions. In a statement to Kotaku, Activision also didn't deny the possibility, noting that AI was one of several "digital tools" it used "to empower and support our teams to create the best gaming experiences possible for our players." Using AI-generated art or at least AI art edited by a human could have saved Activision and developer Treyarch money during development. But it's also possible these in-game rewards look weird because they were made in the rush to get the game out the door. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 has the honor of being the first in the franchise to launch on Xbox Game Pass, one way Microsoft hopes to justify the subscription's recent price hike. That the game features AI-generated assets might dampen some player's excitement, but Black Ops 7's campaign seems like the more pressing issue. It requires an internet connection to run because it was designed to be played in a "squad" of four, but even if you play with in-game bots, you still can't pause the game.

US Congressman calls for regulations to 'prevent companies from using AI to eliminate jobs to extract greater profit' following Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's calling card fiasco

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 came under intense fire last week, with players and developers alike criticising Activision Blizzard's use of generative AI to produce many of the game's calling cards. Now, US Congressman Ro Khanna has weighed in on the furore, calling for proper regulations on AI use in the wake of the controversy. Responding to the social media post that triggered the debate on X (via Eurogamer) Khanna stated: "We need regulations that prevent companies from using AI to eliminate jobs to extract greater profits. Artists at these companies need to have a say in how AI is deployed. They should share in the profits. And there should be a tax on mass displacement." This is not a new position for Khanna, who has been calling for regulations on how generative AI is both created and deployed in the US. In an interview with the Verge last year, Khanna provided a detailed explanation of his position on AI. He criticised both the datasets genAI systems are trained upon, pointing out that models up to that point had been "trained with generative AI on everything on the Internet without necessarily distinguishing what is true from false", as well as how the technology makes it easier to spread misinformation, and the potential labour issues arising from it. It's worth noting Khanna's position on AI isn't wholly negative. He cited potentially beneficial use for AI, pointing out that "There was someone in India actually using AI to have a politician speak in 20 different dialects. That could be a positive use of AI -- Ro Khanna speaking in Spanish and speaking in Tagalog and speaking in Hindi across my constituency." But he pointed out that in such cases, viewers should be made aware that "that's AI generated and that's not really me speaking." Activision responded to the furore surrounding its use of generative AI late last week, stating that it uses "a variety of digital tools, including AI tools to empower and support our teams to create the best gaming experiences possible for our players" adding that its "creative process continues to be led by the talented individuals in our studios." This hasn't stopped criticisms of Black Ops 7 from flowing in, however, with the shooter currently sitting at the lowest user Metacritic score for any Call of Duty game so far. Meanwhile, Black Ops 7's Steam rating currently sits at 42% positive at the time of writing, with players criticising its "Terrible campaign" and "boring and repetitive" Endgame mode alongside Activision's use of AI generated art. PC Gamer's Morgan Park agrees the game is flawed, though he praised its loosening of skill-based matchmaking in competitive multiplayer.

Even members of the US Congress are pushing back against Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's AI use

US Congressman Ro Khanna has responded to Activision Blizzard's AI use in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, highlighting the need for AI regulations in the United States of America. Taking to social media and responding to a viral post about the AI calling cards in the recent AAA FPS, Khanna wrote: "We need regulations that prevent companies from using AI to eliminate jobs to extract greater profits. Artists at these companies need to have a say in how AI is deployed. They should share in the profits. And there should be a tax on mass displacement." In response to queries to whether AI was explicitly used to create these calling cards, Activision responded late last week with the following statement: "Like so many around the world, we use a variety of digital tools, including AI tools, to empower and support our teams to create the best gaming experiences possible for our players. Our creative process continues to be led by the talented individuals in our studios." These calling cards, as well as the campaign for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, have been met with a negative reception from the wider Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 fanbase, with some shocked at how apparent the use of image generation software appears to be across some portions of the game. Ro Khanna, for his part, has been pushing for AI regulation for some time now. As early as January 2024 the congressman was pushing for wider controls for the massive industry, one which is now taking up a vast amount of US growth and investment. Generative AI use has started to become rather widespread across the video game industry, or at the very least, that's what public statements from developer owners have indicated. Square Enix recently noted its intent to replace 70 percent of its QA work with generative AI, while a survey at Tokyo Game Show noted over half of Japanese developers were using AI in some form. It's certainly not isolated to Eastern development either, with Embracer's CEO acknowledging his company's intent to leverage AI and Microsoft's insistence on AI use as two examples of large Western moves to embrace the tech. If you want to learn more about Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, you can read Eurogamer's review! In it, reviewer Jeremy Peel describes it as : "A shift away from single-player leaves Call of Duty with its most lopsided and homogenous entry in decades, though what it does offer is consistently good fun when accepted on its own terms."

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 under fire for using what sure looks like AI-generated Studio Ghibli-style calling card art

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is out today, and if you thought we were going to make it through the day without an AI-generated art scandal, I am here to tell you, hoo boy, you're living in the wrong year. I can't say with 100% certainty that there is generative AI art in Black Ops 7, but an awful lot of fans sure think there is, and with good reason. Images of what people believe to be AI-generated art assets have been appearing all over social media and Reddit, with complaints focusing primarily on calling card images because of their overt Studio Ghibli styling. AI-generated Ghibli images have been all the rage since earlier this year: In March, for instance, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman swapped his profile picture on X for a Ghibli-style portrait that remains there to this day, despite Japan's largest manga publisher recently accusing OpenAI of "trampling on the dignity of artists" with its Sora 2 video app. And, yeah, there's no denying that's pretty much exactly what these calling card images are, and shots are being fired. Not to break immersion but when I came up with Tee's boss i had them be a call of duty fan cause I love very stupid details like that. So it would make sense for me to get Black ops 7 and stream it but how can i pay 70 bucks for such AI slop. I dropped Fragpunk for the same reason. Shit sucks -- @teetheclown.bsky.social ( @teetheclown.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2025-11-14T21:02:17.273Z Personally, my first question here would be, why the hell would you use Ghibli-style images in a Call of Duty game? It makes no sense. Fallout gets away with that kind of stylistic mash-up because it's thematically appropriate, and also Fallout has been doing it forever. But Black Ops? I'm not a fan of the series but I don't recall this sort of visual discord in previous entries. Those of you who can remember back to last year will know that isn't the first time Activision has used generative AI to make in-game assets: They're present in Black Ops 6 (and Modern Warfare 3) as well. But in that case, the visuals were relatively normal and it took months of suspicion and allegations before Activision copped to it. The Black Ops 7 calling card images stand in sharp contrast to those images, though, which just sort of sucked (and had bad fingers), and the feeling among some is that by using the popular Ghibli style, Activision is displaying a complete indifference to the potential for backlash. Where previously it might have taken a softer, more subtle approach to generative AI, this time around it's just rubbing people's faces in it. Activision makes no secret of the fact that it uses AI, although as is the way with massive corporations, specifics are in short supply. The Black Ops 7 Steam page carries an obligatory AI generated content disclosure: "Our team uses generative AI tools to help develop some in game assets." That's not much to go on, and unfortunately Activision wasn't a whole lot more helpful in a statement provided to PC Gamer. "Like so many around the world, we use a variety of digital tools, including AI tools, to empower and support our teams to create the best gaming experiences possible for our players," Activision said. "Our creative process continues to be led by the talented individuals in our studios." It's an empty bit of "people first!" noise that could just as easily refer to someone punching prompts into the plagiarism machine as actual artists creating actual art. Neither does it address the very straightforward question of, are these specific images gen-AI? The fact is, I don't know for certain, but given the preponderance of evidence I'm going to assume that, yeah, they probably are. For the record, I have done my best to bully Activision into providing more specifics on the calling card images. I don't expect it'll relent, but I'll update this story if it does.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 players call out "awful" apparent use of generative AI for in-game calling cards

With the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, eager fans have criticised Activision for its in-game calling cards seemingly created using generative AI. The calling cards in question belong to the 'Jack of All Trades' campaign challenges, as well as two specific calling cards in the 'Embrace the Nightmare' campaign endgame challenges. These cards appear, in the eyes of members of the Call of Duty community, similar to AI Studio Ghibli recreations which have been circulating online for the past few months. Activision has declared AI was used during the development of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 on the game's Steam page. The mandatory disclaimer notes: "Our team uses generative AI tools to help develop some in game assets." While the disclaimer does not specify which assets have been made using AI, players are speculating these calling cards are a clear example. These calling cards have circulated online, both on social media as well as the game's Reddit page. The reaction is mixed, with some enraged at the apparent use of AI in a full price video game. Take user Commercial_Pirate501, who wrote: "It cost 96 dollars in my country and more than 130 dollars for vault edition lol. I personally enjoy this game, but this is [a] ridiculous amount of money for a game with tons of AI generated content." Another user on Reddit, Loqh9 summerised their thoughts more succinctly, writing: "Damn that's awful fuck this". Alternatively, others are uncaring of possible AI use. For example you have M3Festof1l on X, who commented: "This looks normal. I don't give a shit who or what created the image as long as it looks normal." These are of course just a few opinions in what is a wider debate both on AI use in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, and game development as a whole. Eurogamer has reached out to Activision to determine whether these calling cards and others were created using generative AI.

Call Of Duty Leads US Congressman To Call For AI Regulation

The discovery of AI art in Black Ops 7 is forcing a broader discussion of the issues, and some very dumb responses As we reported earlier, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 may be getting decent reviews from critics, it's being absolutely slammed by players over its use of AI. The scale of the reaction to Activision's implementation of shitty AI art has been so great, in fact, that it's caught the attention of Democratic congressman Ro Khanna, who is now calling for regulation of the gaming industry over the issue. Black Ops 7's heavy use of AI has shocked players given the game has come from one of the richest corporations on Earth, in a title that will have cost hundreds of millions of dollars. Paying its artists for a handful of drawings seems unlikely to have made a significant dent, and just feels wanton and gross. This caught the attention of congressman Ro Khanna, who took to X in response to a post by popular gaming account @Pirat_Nation. Quoting it, Khanna declared that "we need regulations that prevent companies from using AI to eliminate jobs to extract greater profits." "Artists at these companies need to have a say in how AI is deployed," the politician continued. "They should share in the profits. And there should be a tax on mass displacement." It's probably fair to say that these aren't the most well-thought-through arguments, given just how impossible it would be to regulate in this wayâ€"it doesn't seem feasible for government to rule on how companies must listen to a specific skillset within their workforce, for instance. And it rather misses that AI art is the AI use we can easily spot as outsiders, failing to recognize the vast number of different creative roles within a games developer where sloppy AI can be used to replace human endeavor. But either way, the call for AI regulation is certainly very welcome, and it's a conversation we want our governments to be having. And a conversation Khanna certainly had, with super-rich businessman David Friedberg (a man who founded The Climate Corporation and then sold it to one of the most despicable corporations on the planet, Monsanto, for $1.1bn). Friedberg replied to Khanna's post with the impeccable argument, "What if the AI creates/enables/unlocks new higher-paying jobs?" Yeah! What if it does the exact opposite of what it's actually currently doing? Eh?! Incredibly, he then goes on to evidence this by using the example of tractors in farming. Without them, "we'd have very expensive food, no industry revolution, and a shitty standard of living for workers." Yes, if there's one example you want to reach for when celebrating the role of technology in improving people's working conditions, it's farm laborers. Fucking hell. Friedberg is currently running Ohalo, a company claiming it can genetically engineer crops to use few resources for more gain, or as the company puts it, "accelerating evolution to unlock nature's potential." Which is definitely the phrase you would put on the website of the company that causes the apocalypse in a movie. It's also a way of applying patents to seeds, making food growth even more difficult for developing nations. In case you think the farm workers quote is an unfair line to pluck from his lengthy reply, Friedberg also unironically wrote, "in every truly free society, tech evolution has improved the lives of absolutely everyone." I dunno, perhaps he's being archly satirical with "every truly free society" given none has ever existed? It seems sadly unlikely, though. Because he then rather shows his hand by saying, "your view is luddite at best and authoritarian at its heart." The Luddites, of course, were a group that destroyed textile machines not because they were anti-technology, but because they were fighting for their livelihoods and their need to be able to feed their families, protesting for regulation and worker rights. And, you know, it was the authorities who enlisted the army to murder these people to prevent a wider uprising. My ironometer just started popping out cogs and springs. As the discussion continues, Khanna attempts to find a typically wet and insipid centrist route through the issue (this is, after all, the man who is currently trying to convince Democrats to work with Marjorie Taylor-Greene because that dangerous conspiracist just happens to align on the Epstein files issue), but only meets Friedberg's sci-fi-riddled fantasies of an impossibly wonderful future which he then attempts to use to justify absolutely anything today. It really is spellbinding to read a rationalization of replacing paid workers with AI today because tomorrow a person opening a bike shop could buy two bike-making robots and an AI-created website. I swear to god that's not a pastiche of his wordsâ€"click the link. (Or don't, if you don't want to be confronted by a truly disgusting rant about how feeding the hungry raises food costs, and access to education, um, increases the cost of education. Just shit.) No matter the poverty of the argument above, it remains the case that some form of regulatory intervention would clearly be positive for workers. Incentives to pay humans to create, rather than algorithms to plagiarize, seems like a net good. But then net goods appear to now be only recognizable as "socialism," and it all feels like an impossible dream given our current situation of being led by a despotic manbaby who is deeply enamored by the attention from the billionaires inflating the AI bubble. Yet, having the discussion remains vital. The AI bubble is going to burst, and it's going to be hilarious for a moment, but then only cost more people more jobs as countless billions are wiped out of the economy. In the meantime, the more we can stand up against replacing human creativity with embarrassing, crappy, six-fingered dross, the better it will be for those in creative industries. If the use of AI causes a massive public stink, as is happening with Black Slops 7, it holds back the tide and causes c-suite enthusiasts to hesitate over potential bad press. It does feel enormously demoralizing to need to suggest that it might be good to pay your employees to create splendid art, rather than embarrass yourself by including half-assed machine effluence, and yet here we are. So all power to politicians willing to speak up and force the discussion into the wider public. And when you see those most vociferously defending the use of LLMs and art-regurgitation machines, it's always worth looking into how it financially benefits them before taking on board their arguments.

Black Ops 7 Faces Backlash Over Alleged GenAI Use for In-Game Artwork

Black Ops 7 reached 100,000 peak concurrent players on Steam after launch Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 released across PC, PlayStation and Xbox platforms last week, and the game's launch has been less than ideal. Concurrent player numbers for the game on Steam have been modest, especially compared to recently released multiplayer competitors like Battlefield 6 and Arc Raiders. Black Ops 7 players have also pointed out and criticised the alleged use of generative AI in the game for some artwork. Black Ops 7 Steam Player Count Black Ops 7, which can be accessed through the Call of Duty app, crossed 100,000 peak concurrent players on Steam on Sunday, as epr SteamDB, two days after it launched. Those numbers pale in comparison to Battlefield 6 and Arc Raiders, which hit 700,000 and 300,000 peak concurrent player counts on the platform right after launch. It is, however, worth noting that a large chunk of Black Ops 7 players on PC would have accessed the shooter through their Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass subscription. The newest Call of Duty was added to Xbox Game Pass on the day it launched. Player numbers on PlayStation and Xbox platforms aren't shared. Activision and Microsoft have not yet shared sales figures or player numbers for Black Ops 7. Xbox boss Phil Spencer, however, congratulated developers on the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. "Huge thanks to the incredible teams behind Call of Duty. Your creativity and passion continue to shape gaming culture and deliver unforgettable experiences. You made history again. Congrats on this amazing milestone," Spencer said Saturday after the game's launch. Generative AI Artwork in Black Ops 7 Black Ops 7 has also attracted controversy over the alleged use of generative AI in the game. Following its launch, several players pointed out on social media that the artwork for in-game player calling cards seems to have been created using generative AI. From screenshots posted by players, a lot of the said artwork resembled Studio Ghibli-style AI images that went viral when OpenAI launched GPT‑4o-powered image generation feature earlier this year. On the game's Steam page, Activision admits to using generative AI tools "to help develop some in game assets" in the AI generated content disclosure section, but doesn't specify which assets were created using AI tools. In a statement to XboxEra, Activision said: "Like so many around the world, we use a variety of digital tools, including AI tools, to empower and support our teams to create the best gaming experiences possible for our players. Our creative process continues to be led by the talented individuals in our studios." Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 launched on November 14 across PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X. The game is also available on Xbox Game Pass.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 follows GTA 6 in controversies reaching government officials: amid gen AI backlash, US Congress rep argues real artists should "have a say"

The time has come, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is finally here - but it's safe to say that its release hasn't exactly gone over smoothly with the shooter community after the likes of Arc Raiders and Battlefield 6... and the use of generative AI certainly doesn't help. Eagle-eyed fans recently noted that Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 seemingly employs the use of gen AI instead of human-made artwork in various instances, from its calling cards to reward icons - and it's clear they've not been thrilled to see it. The Steam page itself, which shows "Mixed" reviews from players, confirms that developers didn't shy away from AI, too: "Our team uses generative AI tools to help develop some in-game assets." Activision did respond to curious outlets, including PCGamesN, explaining the use of AI and saying, "Like so many around the world, we use a variety of digital tools, including AI tools, to empower and support our teams to create the best gaming experiences possible for our players. Our creative process continues to be led by the talented individuals in our studios." This didn't help the situation much, though - and now, it's reached the US Congress. Congressional representative Ro Khanna of the Democratic Party's new online post on the matter proves as much. "We need regulations that prevent companies from using AI to eliminate jobs to extract greater profits," it reads. "Artists at these companies need to have a say in how AI is deployed. They should share in the profits. And there should be a tax on mass displacement." Khanna further details his stance in replies. "Support innovation, but in a way that is democratic and benefits all Americans," reads one of his responses. In another, he writes, "I believe tech can create jobs, need tech trades, and should embrace innovation. But having incentives for it to be augmenting capability instead of displacing it and having a plan to hire folks is making sure it's done in a way that benefits every American." Amusingly enough, this isn't the only instance of video games reaching government officials - just days ago, news of the GTA 6 delay reached the Polish parliament, and shortly after, the recent Rockstar Games firings made it to the UK Parliament as well.

Call Of Duty: Black Ops 7 Gets A Kicking From Players Over AI

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is proving pretty popular with critics. The latest entry in the infinitely-running series is sitting on a Metascore of 83, with no reviews so far marked as "negative." The same, however, can not be said of user reviews. At a desultory Metascore of 1.9, it's the worst-rated Call of Duty ever. A lot of the ire in the Metascore reviews is focused on the game's "lackluster" multiplayer-only campaign, faulty matchmaking, litany of bugs, and very unfavorable comparisons with Arc Raiders, but the use of AI also comes up a great deal as people vent their frustrations. It was noticed immediately after launch that the latest entry in one of the biggest franchises in the world had used AI-plagiarized art for player banners, calling cards and even artwork within the campaign. When Kotaku approached Activision for comment on this, the company seemed entirely nonplussed by the situation, simply stating "Like so many around the world, we use a variety of digital tools, including AI tools, to empower and support our teams..." "Just pure trash full of ai slop," says one Metacritic user. "What AI bot did they use to puke up this garbage?" asks another. A third comments, "It's just another hurriedly rushed AI slop-fest." One comment that appears to capture the mood of most poetically phrases it, "Unbelievable, abysmal dogshit. Save your money please! The use of AI is just the cherry on top." Of course, user scores do tend to be marked on a binary scale, rather than adopting the full spread of numbers. People tend to leave reviews not out of a sense of civic duty, but rather because they're either delighted or furious, hence the majority of these scores being a possibly somewhat exaggerated 0. Scattered throughout (albeit very much in the minority), bringing the overall average to 1.9, are 9s and 10s from enthusiasts. It's obviously not a useful metric of a game's quality, but it's certainly a very useful way to see which way a game is being received by the wider public. Meanwhile, over on Steam, the game is currently sitting on the very low end of "Mixed" reviews, with just 42 percent of reader reviews finding Black Ops 7 to be positive. (However, that rating drops to "Mostly Negative" when reviews are filtered for English language only. Chinese players seem to be having a better response.) "chatgpt generate me a lackluster campaign with reused assets and cringe worthy dialogue," reads one popular review. "Activision just pay for art you clearly have money and it won't look like shit," says another. It's something of a relief that the brazen use of AI in games still generates fury like this, players yet to be inoculated to it by its widespread use. Companies are keen to trot out the "But everyone else is doing it!" excuse, like a child caught cheating in a test, but right now this isn't cutting it with audiences. It seems pretty likely that any major company pledging not to use AI could win enormous favor with players in this climate. It's probably worth a try!

Black Ops 7 under fire for use of alleged AI artwork

This probably won't come as a surprise. The latest Call of Duty game appears to contain AI-generated graphics that also don't look particularly good, and people aren't happy about it. And just a few hours after the game's release, players began sharing screenshots of graphics in the game that they believe are AI-generated slop. And it's hard not to agree. There are clear signs of several images being AI-generated. Including a cartoon figure that seems to have six fingers, eyes that don't match up and some other oddities that are usually associated with AI. It's also worth keeping in mind that all of this is meant to be rewards you get for completing challenges, which makes it even more depressing. Other players have shared screenshots of what appears to be AI-generated graphics in the Black Ops 7 campaign, which this year is entirely online and designed around multiplayer. Of course, we can't know for sure which graphics in the latest Call of Duty were created by humans, which were generated by a machine, and which are a combination where humans have touched up lousy generated images. Activision themselves have chosen to respond to the criticism. They claim that, just like so many others around the world, they use a variety of digital tools, including AI tools, to give their teams the ability to create the best possible gameplay experiences for their players. And that their creative process continues to be led by the talented individuals that make up their studios. "We've come out and been very clear that we use these [AI tools] as tools to help the team, but they do not replace any of the fantastic team members we have that are doing the final touches and building that content to put it in the game."' What are your thoughts on AI-imagery being used as rewards?

Black Ops 7 Faces Backlash After Player Reports AI Calling Cards and Gets Refunded

Players disappointed by the use of AI are claiming refunds on Steam. Call of Duty Black Ops 7 hasn't had the smoothest of launches. Upon arrival, its co-op campaign caught instant flak from the community, and the game is now embroiled in controversy over allegations of AI-generated assets. Images of what players are deeming to be AI-generated Calling Cards are doing the rounds online, forcing Activision to release an official statement, but not before players managed to secure refunds on their copies. This isn't the first instance of Activision flirting with AI-generation tools, as both Modern Warfare III and Black Ops 6 were accused of using generated assets. These were given away by the AI tool's inability to create human-like hands with the correct number of fingers, although BO7's culprits feel far more blatant. We're talking art that mimics the Studio Ghibli-inspired slop that plagued the internet for a good while, which shouldn't be present in a Call of Duty game in the first place. As mentioned at the start, the assets accused of being AI-generated are the many Calling Cards present in Call of Duty Black Ops 7. These animated posters are far from the most important things in the game, so on some level, using AI tools to streamline their creation makes a tinge of sense. However, that notion quickly unravels when you see just how careless and lackluster the end result is. All the art present in this image screams 'AI slop,' and that's not just me saying it. Players online felt the same, leading to a barrage of criticism. To make matters worse for Activision, some users were so miffed that they started asking for refunds on Steam. One player even claimed to have completed the entire co-op campaign before securing a refund, citing the use of "AI-generated options that were not present in the marketing." All the backlash appears to have forced the publisher's hand as Activision shared an official statement not long after. "Like so many around the world, the statement read, we use a variety of digital tools, including AI tools, to empower and support our teams to create the best gaming experiences possible for our players. Our creative process continues to be led by the talented individuals in our studios." As you'd imagine, the vague statement reassured absolutely no one, and Black Ops 7 is still getting hammered online. What are your thoughts on AI art being used in video games? Let us know in the comments.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Is Out, And It's Immediately Being Called Out For Being Filled With AI Slop

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is officially out on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. If you pre-loaded the game, you can jump in right now and start your journey with the latest release in the annual shooter mega-franchise, seeing everything this year's entry has to offer. Which, players have immediately noticed, also includes a slew of AI-generated slop used for in-game rewards. This isn't the first time we've seen Activision use generative AI for assets within Call of Duty. It did so in 2023 for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and in 2024 for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, with both instances facing severe backlash from players. So we can't really be surprised that there's AI slop stuffed into Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, but what is surprising is just how much of it fills the game. User Kumesicles on X (formerly Twitter) shared an image of the in-game calling card rewards that all feature AI-generated assets, with their post becoming the lightning rod that is drawing plenty of attention, but it's not the only example of AI assets in the game. Activision also used AI-generated assets within the campaign, and for the prestige icons that players grind hours to attain. It's also likely that there are more AI assets to be found, though at the time of this writing and considering that the game only released today, these examples are the ones that have caught players' eyes and ire the most. The replies to Kumesicles' post are a quick look at how players feel about the game being stuffed with AI slop for these assets, even if they are a small part of the game. Another look is the game's Steam page, where several player reviews are also criticizing the use of AI slop, on top of other issues with the game, like how the campaign cannot be paused, is always online, and will kick you from a level if you go AFK, forcing you to restart it. At some point, you really have to wonder what you're paying for here. Cosmetic changes for your character and your profile in games make good goals for players to reach and good microtransactions because they were, historically, carefully crafted by artists to look cool, so that when you saw it, you wanted to grind the hours it would take to earn those small calling cards and profile pins, to have them on your profile as a badge of your own gaming prowess. Of course, that's not the whole Call of Duty experience, but having a cool-looking profile that flashes when you get the winning kill of a match or make the best play in a round is an ingrained aspect of the quintessential Call of Duty experience. Why should you be getting less than what you got in previous games? It's not like Activision can't pay artists to make something that players might actually want to have on their profiles. It may be a small element of the game, but it's a big showcase of just how much Activision does not care about getting the details right. So long as Call of Duty remains the commercial juggernaut it's been for over a decade, Activision will continue to degrade its quality to see how much it can get away with ripping players off. Even if Activision backtracks and replaces these assets with art actually made by humans, we have no reason not to expect the same rigamarole next year, likely even more egregious than what we're seeing now.

Activision Confirms COD: Black Ops 7 Contains AI Generated Slop

Stop me if you've heard this one before: The latest Call of Duty game seems to contain AI-generated art that doesn't look very good, and people aren't happy about it. This time, it's the newly released Black Ops 7. On November 14, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 launched across consoles and PC. And within a few hours, players online were sharing screenshots of artwork within the game that they believe is AI-generated slop. And it's hard not to agree. Looking at some of this artwork, including in-game player banners, I notice the telltale signs of AI imagery, including at least one cartoon character that appears to have six fingers. Eyelines also don't match up, and some objects seem vaguely defined. And almost all of it just looks really bland. Keep in mind, these are rewards you get for completing challenges, which makes it even more depressing; gee, thanks, some machine-vomited "art." Other players have shared screenshots of what looks like AI-generated artwork within Black Ops 7's campaign, which this year is online-only and designed around multiplayer. Of course, we can't know for sure which pieces of art in the latest Call of Duty were created by humans, which were generated by a machine, and which are a combo, with humans touching up crappy generated imagery. But we do know for a fact that Black Ops 7 has AI art in it, as confirmed by the game's Steam store page: "Our team uses generative AI tools to help develop some in-game assets." This is the same disclaimer found on Black Ops 6's store page, which was added in February. Kotaku has contacted Activision about the AI art in Black Ops 7 and was sent this statement: “Like so many around the world, we use a variety of digital tools, including AI tools, to empower and support our teams to create the best gaming experiences possible for our players. Our creative process continues to be led by the talented individuals in our studios.†If that sounds familiar, it's because this is similar to what Activision and Treyarch said about Black Ops 6 earlier this year, following months of players accusing the devs of using AI slop. In an interview with IGN in August, Treyarch associate creative director Miles Leslie talked about using AI art in Black Ops 7. The developer claimed that "everything that goes into the game is touched by the team a hundred percent," but did admit that AI tools are used to "help." As to why some clearly AI-generated art that was seemingly not fixed up by a human slipped into Black Ops 6, Leslie told IGN it was an "accident." "That was never the intention," said Leslie. "We've come out and been very clear that we use these as tools to help the team, but they do not replace any of the fantastic team members we have that are doing the final touches and building that content to put it in the game. So everything you play: human-created and touched. AI tools in the world we live in: it's how do we streamline it? That's really the goal. Not replace, but streamline.†And with players discovering bland AI-generated images in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Activision openly confirming it and embracing it, it seems this is just how it works now, I guess.

Who actually benefits from Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's AI art controversy?

I've lived through many Call of Duty controversies, from MW2's No Russian mission to loot box overload. Still, few have arrived as swiftly, or as on zeitgeist, as the discovery that Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's calling cards appear to include generative AI artwork. What began as a handful of screenshots on launch day has quickly spiralled into a wider debate about transparency, value, and the future of human-made art in blockbuster games. Many of the game's calling cards display the kind of visual tics that seasoned artists can spot at a glance: fingers that don't quite add up, characters whose faces drift slightly off-model, and backgrounds that feel too synthetic to belong to a studio known for its polish. These aren't high-profile cinematic assets, but they're the small slices of style and personality players earn through gameplay. And that's precisely why the discovery has landed so hard; it feels a little sneaky, a bit underhanded. Let's not forget that Activision was accused of using AI for cinematics and marketing art in Back Ops 6, a claim it denied. So here we are again with an AI art controversy, this time used for 'incidental' art. Amid mounting speculation around Black Ops 7's AI art use, Activision released a statement addressing the concerns. In it, as reported by XboxEra, the publisher said: "We use a variety of digital tools, including AI tools, to empower and support our teams [...]. Our creative process continues to be led by the talented individuals in our studios." It's a carefully worded reassurance that reflects the message Activision has been using for months: AI is being used, but the artists are in control. Yet for many players and industry creatives, the artwork itself tells a different story, one where the balance between assistance and overreliance may have quietly slipped. One reason this dispute has struck a nerve is that it speaks to a bigger, simmering tension across the industry. Generative AI tools promise speed, efficiency, and cheaper production pipelines. But while AI may lighten a studio's workload or shrink a budget line, the price of a premium game like Black Ops 7 isn't getting any lower. If anything, game prices continue to edge upward, even as artists and developers face layoffs and teams become leaner. For players, it's hard not to ask the obvious question: if AI is taking on more of the work, and if publishers are saving time and money, then where is that value going? Because it certainly isn't landing in the hands of the people buying the game. There's also a cultural dimension at play. Calling cards, perk illustrations, and rewards in all games, not just Black Ops 7, have always been a space for personality, a place where illustrators flex style and humour, particularly inside a series like CoD that otherwise trades on tactical realism. Replacing that human expression with AI-generated imagery feels, to many, like a hollowing-out of one of the game's most characterful corners. It also feels like mission creep, using AI in undisclosed ways that gradually become more ingrained in the game. If you're going to use AI in game development, be open about it, maybe use it creatively, perhaps for areas of development that can be improved, but let gamers decide. While no major studio will admit it publicly, Black Ops 7 is now a case study in how not to introduce AI into a beloved franchise. Artists across the industry are already discussing how easily 'supportive tools' can cross the line into fully generated content, and how difficult it becomes to convince players that craft still matters when the results look rushed or uncanny. My, possibly controversial, view is that the technology itself isn't the villain here; poor implementation is, a lack of transparency is, and fundamentally, a lack of creative use is. AI-assisted workflows are already used sensibly across games, from early concept exploration to mood boards and iteration. I have my doubts if AI can create good concept art from scratch, as it will always be iterative on existing ideas, but perhaps there's a way to help generate more art based on a human's first, original concepts. Just as importantly, once those AI tools bleed into final, player-facing art without the care or oversight fans expect, the damage is immediate. The practical fallout remains to be seen. Activision hasn't indicated whether it will review or replace the questionable calling cards, and no policy changes have been announced. But what has become clear is that players are no longer willing to shrug off AI missteps as harmless experimentation. In a series as commercially dominant as Call of Duty, quality is part of the contract (incidentally, this is one of the worst-performing CoD releases, both in terms of player count and reviews). The irony is that AI was supposed to make production smoother; still, here, it's ignited one of the most divisive conversations in the series' recent history, and that's saying something for Call of Duty. Unless studios start handling these tools with more transparency and taste, Black Ops 7 won't be the last AAA game caught in the crossfire.

U.S. Congressman Blasts Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's Alleged AI Images: 'We Need Regulations That Prevent Companies from using AI to Eliminate Jobs' - IGN

"Innovation and technological advance is patriotic and good for humanity provided it serves people." A member of U.S. Congress has now called out Activision Blizzard's use of generative AI in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, and demanded tighter regulation to "prevent companies from using AI to eliminate jobs." It's not been the smoothest start for Activision's blockbuster shooter franchise. When Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 launched last week, players promptly took to social media to complain about AI-generated images they had found across the game, primarily focusing on calling card images with a Studio Ghibli-esque styling, following a trend of AI-Ghibli images from earlier this year. Now, in a post on X/Twitter, Californian congressman has Ro Khanna slammed the developer's move to AI to "extract greater profits," writing: "We need regulations that prevent companies from using AI to eliminate jobs to extract greater profits. Artists at these companies need to have a say in how AI is deployed. They should share in the profits. And there should be a tax on mass displacement." In a follow-up tweet, Khanna added that there should be tax reforms to discourage excessive automation, guardrails should be put in place to protect worker input before deployment -- "not a Luddite complete ban" -- adding "support unions and workers to bargain for workers' benefitting from productivity gains." When a commenter suggested that curbing AI investment could stifle innovation, Khanna said: "Innovation and technological advance is patriotic and good for humanity provided it serves people. So we need to think about how it is adopted and how people can still have meaningful work and independence. "A tax code that doesn't incentivize excessive automation, working input councils so AI is used for augmentation, rules so workers share in AI productivity gains, a plan to hire young grads who may less entry level jobs or to hire displaced workers, a tax on mass displacement and guardrails against them -- all these a provisions to ensure a technology revolution benefits ordinary Americans." Last week, Activision acknowledged its used of "a variety of digital tools, including AI tools," in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, "to empower and support our teams to create the best gaming experiences possible for our players. Our creative process continues to be led by the talented individuals in our studios." Of course, this isn't the first time Call of Duty has come under fire for AI usage. This exact scenario played out back in February, when Activision admitted that it had used generative AI in the development of Black Ops 6, including in a zombie Santa loading screen that angry fans referred to as "AI slop." AI isn't the only thing bothering Call of Duty fans, either. Last last week, players realized the story campaign has numerous restrictions tied to its always-online nature, with no method of pausing levels. You'll also be booted from your game if you're idle for too long. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is out now. We've given the campaign a try and awarded it an 'Okay' 6/10, with our reviewer saying it's " a wild one thanks to the scope of its ambition, but the big swings it takes don't always land, leaving it an uneven step down from last year."

Activision Responds to Complaints of AI-Generated Assets in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 - IGN

"Like so many around the world, we use a variety of digital tools, including AI tools." Activision has issued a statement in response to player outcry regarding the seeming use of generative AI art assets in a number of areas of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. Players have been taking to social media today to complain about images they believe to be AI-generated across the game, primarily focusing on calling card images that they claim appear to use Studio Ghibli styling, following a trend of AI-Ghibli images from earlier this year. In response to this outcry, Activision has issued a statement to a number of outlets, including PC Gamer, that acknowledges the issue...sort of: "Like so many around the world, we use a variety of digital tools, including AI tools, to empower and support our teams to create the best gaming experiences possible for our players. Our creative process continues to be led by the talented individuals in our studios." It's worth pointing out that the Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Steam page also includes the following disclaimer: "Our team uses generative AI tools to help develop some in game assets." Not exactly descriptive! This isn't the first time Call of Duty has come under fire for this, either. This exact scenario played out back in February, when Activision admitted that it had used generative AI in the development of Black Ops 6, including in a zombie Santa loading screen that angry fans referred to as "AI slop." Then, just this past August, Black Ops 7 associate creative director Miles Leslie clarified the team's stance on the technology further: "We live in a world now, where there are AI tools. I think our official statement we said last year, around Black Ops 6, is that everything that goes into the game is touched by the team a hundred percent. We have generative AI tools to help us, but none of that goes in-game. "And then you're going to say, 'Yeah, but it has.' I'll say it has by accident. And that was never the intention. We've come out and been very clear that we use these as tools to help the team, but they do not replace any of the fantastic team members we have that are doing the final touches and building that content to put it in the game. "So everything you play: human-created and touched. AI tools in the world we live in: it's how do we streamline it? That's really the goal. Not replace, but streamline." In response, IGN asked why the zombie Santa and other generative AI images hadn't been removed from the game yet, to which Leslie said that was not his department, and that "the team is actively looking at that stuff." It is unclear if, why, or how Activision's stance on this has changed over time. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is out now. We've given the campaign a try and aren't totally crazy about it, with our reviewer saying it's " a wild one thanks to the scope of its ambition, but the big swings it takes don't always land, leaving it an uneven step down from last year."