Activision Finally Admits It Uses Generative AI for Some Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Assets After Backlash Following 'AI Slop' Zombie Santa Loading Screen

Activision has finally acknowledged using generative AI in the development of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, nearly three months after fans raised concerns about AI-generated assets. The controversy began in December with the Season 1 Reloaded update, where players noticed anomalies in loading screens, calling cards, and in-game art related to the Zombies mode.

The most prominent example was the "Necroclaus" loading screen, depicting Zombie Santa with what appeared to be six fingers—a common issue with generative AI's struggles to accurately render hands. A similar issue was found in an image showcasing a new Zombies community event, showing a gloved hand with an unusual number of digits.

Further scrutiny revealed irregularities in other images included in paid bundles, fueling the debate. Following the outcry and new AI disclosure rules on Steam, Activision added a vague statement to Black Ops 6's Steam page: “Our team uses generative AI tools to help develop some in-game assets.”

This admission follows a Wired report from July, revealing that Activision sold an unnamed AI-generated cosmetic in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 last year, part of the Yokai’s Wrath bundle (December 2023). This bundle, costing 1,500 COD Points (approximately $15), generated revenue for Activision. Wired also linked this to the layoff of 1,900 gaming staff at Microsoft (Activision Blizzard's parent company) and alleged that 2D artists' jobs were replaced by AI.

The use of generative AI in gaming remains a controversial topic, raising ethical and rights concerns, and questions about its ability to consistently produce high-quality content. Keywords Studios' failed experiment in creating an entirely AI-generated game highlights the limitations of current AI technology in replacing human talent.