When AI Crosses the Line: The Case of The First Descendant
Nexon Games is in the eye of the storm after its promotional campaign for The First Descendant revealed questionable use of generative AI 🤖🎮. What seemed like an advertising achievement has become a manual of what not to do in gaming marketing, with streamers feeling their identities were "farmed" without permission.
Anatomy of a Digital Controversy
The ads under scrutiny present two key problems: 1. AI Avatars that appear to be digital clones of real creators 2. Claims of being "the most popular RPG shooter" without verifiable data The community has detected that at least one AI-generated character has an uncanny resemblance to a well-known streamer, from gestures to the streaming setup arrangement. Legitimate inspiration or digital appropriation? The debate is on.
"Generating fictional influencers that look real is dangerous. It creates false expectations and erodes trust in the industry" — comments an affected content creator.
The 3 Open Wounds Left by This Campaign
- Ethics in Marketing: Where is the line between inspiration and impersonation?
- Transparency: Audiences deserve to know when they are interacting with AI-generated content
- Artistic Impact: Illustrators and designers see their styles replicated without credit
The Technical Side of the Scandal
Analysts point out that the avatars use: - Facial Generation with tools like DALL-E or MidJourney - Lip-sync Animations via software like Adobe Character Animator - Synthetic Environments created with Unreal Engine A powerful mix that, used without ethics, can become a weapon of mass disinformation.
Lessons for the Industry
This case should drive: 1. Clear Guidelines on the use of AI in gaming advertising 2. Mandatory Labeling of artificially generated content 3. Respect for Real Creators who build communities While Nexon remains silent, the lesson is clear: in the AI era, authenticity is the new gold 💎. And for now, The First Descendant is failing its saving throw against controversy 🎲💥.