Numerous entries in the 2024 Pokemon Trading Card Game Illustration Contest have been disqualified after The Pokemon Company cited that these submissions had violated the rules of the competition. Shortly after the top 300 entrants were announced, people online began to suggest that several of the finalists had submitted AI-generated images, and in a statement, The Pokemon Company acknowledged that it had disqualified “entrants in violation of the rules” but it did not directly mention AI.
“Additional artists participating in the contest will soon be selected to be among the top 300 finalists,” The Pokemon Company said in a statement (via Eurogamer). “We’re committed to upholding the integrity of the Pokemon TCG Illustration Contest and appreciate fans’ continued support as we celebrate the artistic abilities of the talented Pokemon community.”
With a grand prize of $5,000 and a chance to have their art immortalized as an official Pokemon TCG card, the Pokemon contest regularly attracts scores of submissions. On X (formerly Twitter) several people have pointed out some of the telltale signs of AI-generated images, suggesting that prompters submitted those images alongside legitimate artists.
Predominantly I am going to be focusing on these pieces, as they in my opinion have the most clear signs of AI forgery. Plus, they seem to be submitted by the same person changing their name slightly, given the similarities. pic.twitter.com/sYhpQYaVZi
— stormy 🐍🍉 ukkomon apologist (@haruujin) June 14, 2024
The prevalence of AI-generated images has become controversial since the rise of Midjourney and Stable Diffusion, with many artists accusing these programs of being fed and trained on their work without their permission. Many professional creative roles have been made redundant, while other companies like Wizards of the Coast has been forced to address the use of Generative AI in Dungeons & Dragons after DnD fans found examples of the tools being used in artwork for the tabletop game.
In the animated film space, Chris Miller, the producer of 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and 2023’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, confirmed that there is “no generative AI in Beyond the Spider-Verse, and there never will be.”
Meanwhile, video game companies are more interested in using generative AI to build bigger games more quickly. Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson recently commented that generative AI could help the company reach the “holy grail” of game development and Ubisoft is experimenting with the technology to create NPCs that can have a “real conversation” with players.
This, however, could come with significant job losses.
