Ubisoft Gets Speared For Generating ‘Assassin’s Creed’ Poster Using AI
Photo 41827484 © Antonio Jodice | Dreamstime.com
Ubisoft fans are sparring with the developer for promoting its Assassin’s Creed franchise using artwork generated from artificial intelligence.
It’s not unusual for brands to feature fan art from time to time. This time, however, the gaming company’s Latin American division took the road less traveled by using Midjourney to dream up a faux poster featuring a knockoff Ezio. It’s a true sign of the times.
Ubisoft literally conducting layoffs this year and last month, and they're posting AI art. Unbelievable.
— Reid Southen 🔜 LightBox Expo (@Rahll) October 31, 2023
What the hell is the game industry doing right now. pic.twitter.com/XVbzqcbw9D
The use of AI is apparent. While the account did mention its adoption of Midjourney for the artwork in its hashtags, there were other telling details that were pretty laughable. In the background, for example, you can make out the form of a long-limbed, disfigured character on a horse(?).
Following in the wonky footsteps of the Latin American wing, Ubisoft Netherlands also uploaded its own AI-created art to commemorate Halloween. This one pictures Ezio in front of a setting filled with Jack-O’-Lanterns.
Ben jij team trick of treat?🎃 pic.twitter.com/xvtIJH0rPf
— Ubisoft Nederland (@UbisoftNL) October 31, 2023
More forgiving gamers might have let these images slip, if not for the fact that Ubisoft announced job cuts this year. Per Kotaku, more than 1,000 employees have departed from the company in the last year, although some of those removals were voluntary on the part of staffers as part of a “cost reduction” program.
Ubisoft also shut down its Benelux office, which is believed to have overseen the Belgium, Luxembourg, and Netherlands markets, so the use of AI artwork by the Netherlands account following the severance of human roles seemed tone-deaf to some.
Ubisoft shut down the entire Dutch office earlier this year and now hired a social media company to post on their platforms.
— JorRaptor (@Jorraptor) October 31, 2023
Using AI art..... https://t.co/FwDoFBBEZX
The less-than-perfect poster has since been taken down. As for the Halloween tribute, that’s still up and continuing to spook audiences.
[via Kotaku and Creative Bloq, images via various sources]
