Date Ariane creator has been exploring the good and bad of AI all year

destructoid.com:

The increasing use of AI in gaming draws ambivalent responses. While some appreciate it when used in the right context, others complain that it lacks the artistic flair that only humans can bring. Date Ariane’s creator, Ariane Barnes, has been warning of the possible harms of AI in gaming all year, and it hasn’t stopped in December.

For the uninitiated, Date Ariane is a classic game that launched in 2004 and has gone on to be highly influential in the realm of adult visual novels. It has a simple premise – go on a date with Ariane and ensure it ends on a sexual note. It’s still available, has received remasters, and the creator has released other visual novels in the same vein.

In a blog released this month, she describes 2023 as the year of the rise and fall of AI, claiming that “in less than a year, AI went from a promised new future to an industry with no real future, at least not as everyone envisioned it.” AI images are still being used, but they face large hurdles such as Steam’s crackdown on the tech, and increasing issues with copyright violations regarding how and where the technology sources its data.

One of the problems highlighted is the effect the rise of AI has had on the 3D art community. Date Ariane features 3D art, with the creator describing herself as “kind of a pro.” However, she can’t ignore the ignore the advantages that AI brings. As she argues: “if your only goal is to generate “pretty pictures”, AI tools are faster cheaper easier and better than 3D.” Because of this, she claims there has been a slowdown in the growth of the 3D art community.

Nevertheless, she believes that there are some aspects of 3D art that AI can’t replicate just yet. One of those aspects is consistency. In her own