Call of Duty Fans Give Black Ops 6's Zombie Santa Loading Screen the Finger Amid 'AI Slop' Backlash

ign.com:

Activision is embroiled in a backlash over Call of Duty Black Ops 6 in-game art that some fans have accused of being "AI slop."

Following the release of the Season 1 Reloaded update, fans noticed a number of telltale signs in Black Ops 6 loading screens, calling cards, and art used to explain how Zombies community events work.

At the centre of the backlash is a loading screen image of Zombie Santa, aka 'Necroclaus,' which some have said shows the undead Father Christmas with six fingers. Others, however, believe the bottom left 'finger' is simply flesh falling off the little finger above it, although there are irregularities with the present boxes and ribbons in the bottom right, too. Generative AI often struggles with hands, adding extra fingers where they shouldn't be.

Another image of a gloved hand was used to show off a new Zombies community event. It contains what looks like six fingers with no thumb on-screen, suggesting up to seven digits on this hand.

IGN has asked Activision for comment.

The release of the Zombie Santa image sparked a closer look at other images in Black Ops 6, which some in the Call of Duty community have now called into question. Redditor Shaun_LaDee highlighted three images included in paid bundles that have irregularities that could suggest the use of generative AI.

Fans are now calling on Activision to disclose the use of generative AI for art that is included in bundles that are sold. And as others have pointed out, Steam operator Valve now has AI disclosure rules that call on publishers and developers to describe how they use AI in the development and execution of their games. As part of this, Valve has told developers it will include their disclosures on the Steam store page of their game, “so customers can also understand how the game uses AI.” Currently, Call of Duty’s Steam page has no such disclosure.

In July, Wired reported that Activision sold an “AI-generated cosmetic” for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 last year. The cosmetic in