“Manor Lords CEO Declares ‘No AI Assets’ Policy, Criticizing Generative Art as ‘Cancerous'”

In a bold stance against the widespread enthusiasm for generative AI from major gaming companies, Tim Bender, the CEO of the smaller publisher Hooded Horse, known for the city-building game Manor Lords, has announced a firm ban on generative AI art in their contracts.

While many in the industry are excited about the possibilities that AI tools offer, Bender expressed his frustrations in a recent conversation, stating, “Honestly, all this thing has done is made our lives more difficult.” He didn’t hold back, adding, “I really dislike generative AI art; it complicates things in ways it shouldn’t.”

Hooded Horse has taken a definitive stand against the use of generative AI art in their projects, with Bender noting, “It’s now part of our contracts that if we’re publishing the game, there will be ‘no AI assets.'” The company is also advising developers to avoid using generative AI throughout the development process.

This approach aims to simplify the process of eliminating any potential generative AI content. By not incorporating AI-generated art at all, they can avoid the pitfalls seen in other projects, like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which inadvertently included AI-generated placeholders.

Bender explained, “If that gets done, there’s a chance that it slips through, because it only takes one instance to make it into a build without being replaced.” He emphasized the ongoing challenge of monitoring and managing this issue, calling it “cancerous.”

Hooded Horse kicked off the new year with the 1.0 release of Terra Invicta, a sci-fi grand strategy game that took over nine years to develop. Notably, there’s no mention of AI on its Steam page.

Reflecting on the company’s evolution, Bender remarked, “Last year we were known as the ‘Manor Lords publisher’; this year, I think we’re something more.”