While some game developers have embraced the use of AI (Artificial Intelligence) in games, not everyone is a fan. One person who has harsh words for it is Balatro creator Localthunk.
Localhunk made a statement about AI art as a response to the game’s subreddit, where the mods mentioned that they would not ban AI art in the community. This led people to believe that Localthunk themselves and Balatro’s publisher, Playstack supported AI art.
Posting on Bluesky, Localthunk said, “I learned about this a little bit earlier – this is not how I feel about AI ‘art’. I normally wouldn’t say something about the r/balatro community but this doesn’t represent my beliefs nor do I believe it represents how Playstack feels about AI generated imagery:
The creator ended it by saying, “I don’t condone AI-generated ‘art, ‘” putting the word “art” in quotes to suggest that whatever AI creates is not art (which it’s not).
Moreover, a now-deleted message (via Eurogamer) adds, A mod recently changed the flair in this subreddit for AI generated art making it seem like Playstack condones AI art. This was not due to a direct order from Playstack but from an interpretation of a message about enforcing the rules of the subreddit.”
The moderator has been removed from the mod team, and AI-generated images will not be allowed on the Balatro subreddit.
Localthunk’s concern over AI art is the first of what I assume will be many instances of the technology causing as much harm as the conveniences it provides developers. While some publishers like Activision seem to be pushing for the use of AI to save time and money on assets, not everything AI is good for gamers and developers. Just last month, the French voice cast of Apex Legends all resigned due to EA forcing them to sign a contract to train AI for their voices.
Some platforms like Steam have now mandated game companies to disclose if they are using AI in their games, and I’m hoping more follow suit.
As for whats new in Balatro, the game recently got its latest Friends of Jimbo update, which is the fourth one, and this adds new guest characters to the card game. Overall, there are now 72 “guest characters” as facecards available in Balatro for free.
Will we get more face card guest characters? I wouldn’t bet against it. What I do know is that we can expect it to not be AI-generated in any way. If you’re thinking of starting Balatro, check out our tips and tricks guide for beginners to give you a nice push in the right direction.
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Source: https://www.dualshockers.com/balatro-creator-has-some-harsh-words-for-ai/
