Call of Duty confesses to the use of generative AI on Steam

Activision forced to admit Call of Duty contains AI-generated content following new Steam page guidelines.

Steam’s updated policy, requiring developers to disclose AI usage in their games, brings this revelation to light. At the bottom of the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Steam page, the description says: “Our team uses generative AI tools to help develop some in game assets.”

Activision has used AI to discourage cheating in the past, but fans see its role in rewards and content as overstepping.

Fans have long suspected Activision of using generative AI to create cosmetics in the latest Call of Duty titles, mainly Modern Warfare 3 (2023) and Black Ops 6.

One key example is the infamous six-fingered Santa zombie loading screen to promote Call of Duty’s Zombies Gobblegum mechanic. What was once fan speculation turned into outright accusations against the publisher, as seen by the recent wave of negative reviews on Steam.

A user on the Black Ops 6 subreddit also shared how they were ‘disappointed” after receiving an AI-generated calling card for completing a difficult challenge.

Disappointingly, I just grinded for an AI generated calling card.
byu/Poodonkus inblackops6

Despite the disclosure on the Steam page, Activision has not confirmed whether AI was used to produce the aforementioned 2D cosmetics. It’s not the first time Call of Duty has used A.I, as developers used models to detect more than two million toxic voice chats.

After Modern Warfare 3’s lukewarm reception, Black Ops 6 was met with optimistic praise when it first debuted on Game Pass. However, since then the game’s reputation has been on a decline, following news that the voice-cast of Black Ops 6 zombies left over Activision’s increasing use of AI.

Featured image: Treyarch / Activision

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