D&D publisher updates policies after AI art discovered in latest book
Dungeons & Dragonsmaker Wizards of the Coast has acknowledged AI-generated artwork was published in its sourcebook Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants, which released digitally on Aug. 1 for those who pre-ordered it. The Hasbro-owned company said in a statement that it will update its policies going forward to keep AI-generated or assisted work out of its publications. Images remain online at D&D Beyond, and are expected to be included in the physical book when it is released on Aug. 15.
“While we weren’t aware of the artist’s choice to use AI in the creation process for these commissioned pieces,” Wizards said in a statement posted Saturday to X (formerly known as Twitter), “we have discussed with him, and he will not use AI for Wizards’ work moving forward.”
The controversy came to light on Friday when D&D author NevernotDM posted on X to call out what he considered “seriously concerning” evidence of AI’s use in Glory of the Giants, which will be published on Aug. 15.
Saturday, artist Ilya Shkipin wrote on X that he’d used AI for “certain details or polish and editing” and went on to post comparisons of finished work and initial sketches to show what he meant. After pushback from artists and others in the D&D community, Shkipin deleted the posts. io9 published screenshots of Shkipin’s comparisons on Saturday.
The final art for this character, a Frostmourn, and others on D&D Beyond has characteristics that indicate AI was used. In another one, the Frost Giant Ice Shaper’s left foot appears strangely proportioned and turned, suggesting, or at least calling into question, the art’s origins.
Shkipin’s art has been in almost 10 years of Dungeons & Dragons books, going back to the fifth edition’s debut in 2014. Wizards in
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