Digital Foundry Reflects on DLSS 5 Criticism: “We Should Have Spent More Time”
Nvidia is currently navigating a storm of confusion, skepticism, and frustration surrounding its recent DLSS 5 demo, which showcases the use of generative AI to enhance photorealistic lighting and even alter the appearances of gaming characters. A tech-focused outlet provided an early look at the technology, sharing a video breakdown that highlighted the potential of DLSS 5, even as much of the online community criticized it.
In response to the backlash, the team has released a new Q&A video on YouTube to clarify their stance. Richard Leadbetter, the site’s founder, acknowledged the feedback, admitting, “We understand a lot of the feedback to the video and I don’t think we did a good enough job on the day.” He noted that they had limited time to convey their thoughts after seeing the demos and should have taken a more measured approach to gauge audience and developer reactions before releasing the video.
While the technical aspects of DLSS 5 are complex, the most striking reactions came from before-and-after comparisons that demonstrated how games transformed with the generative AI tech. This technology added a new layer of visual fidelity but also significantly changed the original aesthetics of the games, especially the characters’ faces. For instance, one comparison showed Grace from Resident Evil Requiem looking drastically different from her existing model on console and PC.
Leadbetter remarked during the original preview, “When you first see that shot it’s quite difficult to argue with that when you flick between the two, which one would you rather play? It’s a bit of a no brainer, isn’t it?” Both he and his colleague Oliver Mackenzie faced significant backlash, including threats, as it became evident that not all team members agreed with the initial assessments.
In the follow-up video, Leadbetter reflected on the excitement that comes with experiencing cutting-edge technology, stating, “Whenever you’re seeing something new and cutting edge, there’s an excitement you get coming out fresh from those sort of types of encounters.” He emphasized that this was their first real look at games driven by new rendering techniques.
It’s important to note that the original analysis was much more comprehensive than the snippets that went viral on social media. It delved into the technology’s intricacies, discussing the potential implications of DLSS 5 imposing its AI-driven interpretation of “reality” on games that are both technical products and artistic expressions.
The latest episode of the tech experts’ show also featured differing opinions from fellow team member Alexander Battaglia, allowing for a more nuanced discussion. He pointed out, “When I look at a lot of AI-generated features in other media, you see this kind of over-averaging and over-perfecting of things based upon, like, presumably the training data was based upon certain stock images of certain types of people.” Battaglia expressed concern that this could erase the unique character model of Grace, raising ethical issues about the use of an actress’s likeness and the impact on her performance, likening it to George Lucas’s alterations to the original Star Wars films.
