Black Ops 7 Activision Confirms AI Use After Fan Backlash Over Art

Activision has officially confirmed it used generative AI tools during the development of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, following intense backlash from players who spotted what they called "AI slop" in the game's art assets. The controversy ignited on the game's November 14 launch day, as fans began sharing screenshots of in-game art, particularly "Calling Cards," that bore the distinct look of popular AI image generators.

The fan accusations, which spread quickly on Reddit and X, pointed to "visual oddities" and a specific "Ghibli-style" anime look for several banners and Prestige icons. In response to the growing criticism, Black Ops 7 publisher Activision issued an official statement. 

The company stated it uses "a variety of digital tools, including AI tools, to empower and support our teams," but maintained that the "creative process continues to be led by the talented individuals in our studios."

The community's suspicions were confirmed by a disclosure on the game's official Steam page. The disclaimer states, "Our team uses generative AI tools to help develop some in-game assets." This acknowledgement, combined with the publisher's statement, verifies the community's claims regarding Black Ops 7 using AI tools.

This is not the first time the franchise has faced this issue. Players pointed to last year's Black Ops 6, which was criticized for AI-generated art, including a "zombie Santa" loading screen that infamously had six fingers—a common AI error. The new incident regarding Black Ops 7 AI art has led many fans to feel that the use of Black Ops 7 AI-generated assets has become more widespread in the $70 sequel.

AI Use is Common in Game Development

While the Black Ops 7 case is drawing public attention, the use of AI in development is already common. A Google Cloud survey from earlier this year revealed that 87% of game-makers use artificial intelligence to some extent, often to streamline creative tasks or optimize code. 

For massive-budget games, AI promises to dramatically reduce development costs, though most major publishers have shied away from using AI for player-facing content due to its controversial nature. Digital storefronts like Steam have even started requiring that publishers disclose the use of generative AI on their games' store pages.

However, the news adds to the frustration many players are voicing about the Black Ops 7 launch, which is also facing criticism for its short and "broken" always-online campaign.