Paizo, the publisher of popular tabletop game titles (TTRPG) like Starfinder and Pathfinder, clearly stated that AI-generated text and art are not welcome in its games.
Paizo posted on Twitter that it will update its contracts to require human submissions. This ban on AI-generated material also applies to the community content markets for Starfinder Infinite and Pathfinder Infinite, which allow creators and sellers to sell third-party content created from Paizo’s IP.
Paizo stated that since 2002 when the company was founded, Paizo had built its reputation using the help of many traditional artists and writers. These people are as important to our success as our in-house editors and art directors. The legal and ethical issues around ‘AI art’ writing prompt programs and the serious threat they pose to the livelihoods and partners who helped us get where we are today. They demand that we stand firm against the use of this technology in Paizo products.
This statement echoes fears that AI tools could disrupt the creative sector. Artists and writers consider generative AI models such as ChatGPT and Midjourney unethical because the data used to train them may contain content taken from the internet without the author’s permission. This poses potential issues for copyright laws. However, there are concerns that these tools could be misused to undermine human creative professionals if the content they produce is sold for profit.
Paizo stated that customers expect a human touch when they receive our releases. However, as long as these programs’ legal and ethical circumstances remain murky, it is difficult to link our brands to the technology.
The company has taken stances in the past to defend its creative community. Recently, the company weighed in on Wizards of the Coast trying to repeal the Open Gaming License for Dungeons & Dragons — the core rules that form the basis for Paizo’s Pathfinder game.
Paizo stated that it would not use AI-generated “creative” work for the foreseeable future, but it has not disclosed how it intends to stop such content from being submitted to its marketplaces. It’s impossible to determine if AI was used to create art or text. The same question remains for Clarkesworld Magazine.
What do you think about the ways to stop AI-generated art or content? Share your opinions wherever you find this post.
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