Recently, a screenshot surfaced revealing an AI prompt hidden in the background text of 11 bit Studios’ latest game, The Alters. The use of AI in the game’s development had not been previously disclosed by the studio, raising questions about transparency in game development. In response to the controversy, 11 bit Studios has issued a statement addressing the situation.
“In light of the concerns raised regarding the use of AI-generated content in The Alters, we want to clarify our approach and provide more context. AI-generated assets were utilized as temporary works in progress during the development phase and in a very limited capacity. Our team has always emphasized the importance of handcrafted storytelling as a core element of our game.
During production, an AI-generated text was mistakenly used as a background texture by one of our graphical designers as a placeholder. This text was never intended to be part of the final release but was inadvertently left in the game due to an internal oversight. After conducting a thorough review, we have identified this as an isolated incident, and the asset in question is being updated.
For the sake of transparency, we have included a screenshot showing where and how the AI-generated text appears in the game. While we acknowledge the issue, we also want to emphasize its limited impact on the overall gaming experience.
Additionally, a few licensed movies that characters in The Alters can watch in the social area of the base were added during the final stages of development. While these videos were externally produced, our team was not directly involved in their creation, and last-minute translations were required. Due to time constraints, we opted to use AI for localization to meet the launch deadline. We had planned to collaborate with our translation partners post-release to ensure the same level of care and quality for these texts. This localization process is currently underway with updated translations being implemented.
To provide a perspective on the scale of these external movies in the game’s narrative, they amount to approximately 10k words out of 3.4 million words in all languages, representing just 0.3% of the total text. The alternative of releasing these dialogues in English only was considered but deemed unfavorable for non-English speakers. In hindsight, we acknowledge that this decision was not ideal. Regardless, we should have communicated this information transparently to our players.
As AI technology advances, it presents both challenges and opportunities in game development. We are actively adjusting our internal processes to adapt to this evolving landscape while maintaining our commitment to transparency in game development. We appreciate your understanding and continued support as we strive towards this goal.”
Source: 11 bit Studios
