Hooded Horse Imposes Strict Generative AI Ban On Its Developers

We live in an era where the use of artificial intelligence in the workplace is a polarizing topic, being defended by some as a tool for efficiency, but condemned by others as a threat to creativity – and the video game industry is no exception to this debate.

Whenever it is revealed that a game has utilized AI for specific elements, a wave of disapproval from players on forums and social media often follows. This happened recently with Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, for instance, where the discovery of AI-generated assets even led to refund requests.

Now, in a major new chapter of this ongoing saga, Hooded Horse (the publisher behind hits like Manor Lords and Terra Invicta) has revealed that they have a strict ban on generative AI assets across all of their titles.

"No F*cking AI Assets," Says Hooded Horse Co-Founder

The stance was made clear in a recent interview, where Tim Bender, co-founder of Hooded Horse, did not mince words (or even a bit of profanity) to express his disdain for generative AI in game development.

Bender’s negative feelings on the matter are so strong that he has officially written prohibition clauses into contracts with developers, forbidding the use of AI assets for any aspect of development, even in "non-final" stages.

“I f*cking hate gen AI art and it has made my life more difficult in many ways… suddenly it infests shit in a way it shouldn’t,” Bender declared during the conversation. “It is now written into our contracts if we’re publishing the game: ‘no fucking AI assets.’”

Beyond the contractual legalities, the publisher also discourages the use of generative AI for "placeholder" purposes in any process of developing a game.

Bender argues that allowing AI into the early stages of development creates a slippery slope where these assets might accidentally remain in the finished product, so they want to avoid that at all costs. “We’ve gotten to the point where we recommend developers don’t use any gen AI anywhere in the process,” Bender explained. “If that gets done, there’s a chance that it slips through... it only takes one of those slipping through in some build and not getting replaced.”

The executive continued his heavy criticism, comparing the spread of AI in creative fields to a disease. “Because of that, we’re constantly having to watch and deal with it and try to prevent it from slipping in, because it’s cancerous,” he stated.

For Bender, the issue is also one of loyalty and ethics, and it seems that he has a strong commitment to human artists. For instance, he noted that Hooded Horse currently employs two human artists for all of the publisher’s marketing art, and using AI would feel like a personal affront to them in his view. “It would be a betrayal of them to work with anything that is using gen-AI art. I wouldn’t be able to face them if we had that,” he explained. “We’re absolutely committed ethically against this.”

Interestingly, Bender’s point of view is increasingly rare in an industry where many major players are moving in the opposite direction. Embark Studios used generative AI for voice performances in Arc Raiders, Electronic Arts utilizes the technology in its sports franchises, and even Larian Studios (from Baldur’s Gate 3 and the upcoming Divinity) recently confirmed they are exploring generative AI tools.

Ultimately, Hooded Horse is planting its flag firmly in the camp of human-made art, a move that certainly puts the industry's direction into perspective and reignites this heated debate. What are your thoughts on their stance? Do you agree with such a strict ban, or is there a place for AI in game development? Let us know in the comments section below!