Artificial Intelligence is one of the biggest movements of our era. While this is undeniable, whether it’s for the benefit or detriment of society is a completely different question. As it stands now, there’s a huge amount of negativity against AI, especially from MTG players. Magic: The Gathering is a game famed for its utterly gorgeous artwork, so having generative AI anywhere near it is upsetting.
Unfortunately, while Wizards of the Coast is pretty good at being anti-AI, it can creep in thanks to being such a prolific corner-cutting tool. It seems this was the cause of a recent AI-inspired controversy surrounding the TCG accessory company Ultimate Guard. Back in early August, it looked like Ultimate Guard had used AI to extend a piece of artwork, which created an immense amount of backlash. Now, Ultimate Guard has confirmed this was the case and apologized for their mistake.
A Necessary Apology
After MTG artist Andrew Thompson identified AI being used to extend his artwork a few weeks ago, Ultimate Guard has just released a statement confirming the allegations. Adobe Generative Fill, a popular tool within Photoshop, was used to fill out a blank space in a design process.
Following the backlash that occurred after this identification, Ultimate Guard has promised not to use any generative AI tools for artwork when designing Magic: The Gathering products. Instead, they plan to commission artists for specific projects, as they have in the past, and will continue to grow an in-house team of illustrators and designers.
Notably, this statement confirms that the Haliya and Tezzeret Flip’n’Tray deck box wasn’t the only MTG licensed product that was going to use generative fill.
Considering what occurred, this is the best thing that Ultimate Guard could have done. Using AI to extend artwork from another artist and selling it is something that the MTG community won’t stand for.
Moral complexities aside, the generative AI, in the words of many players, just looks awful. The art style for the back of the deckbox looks nothing like the rest of the imagery, looking more like some abstract drawing from a grade schooler. This promise will not only ensure that artists stop being shortchanged, but customers will receive higher-quality products.
Clearing the air and committing themselves to upholding the community’s standards may allow the company to regain the trust of a majority of the MTG community, but it won’t be enough for everyone. Sadly, this is not the only drama that Ultimate Guard has going on with Magic players, and this statement does nothing to address the line of Harry Potter IP products. On top of this, the language used in this statement has some MTG players worried.
The Lines Between the Words
While many players are happy with the resolution of this controversy, the reply from Ultimate Guard isn’t without issues. Ultimate Guard was very clear that Magic: The Gathering licensed products specifically would no longer use AI generation, but nothing was said about other products.
While this suggests that any products that aren’t MTG licensed are still fair game for AI generation, most of the products that Ultimate Guard creates are related, or intended, for MTG players. This means that most of what Ultimate Guard creates will likely be free of generative AI if they keep their promise, but more generic designs that aren’t using MTG art are likely to continually use AI elements.
While the resolution may not be perfect, it’s a better outcome than many company-related dramas. That said, the matter of Ultimate Guard’s Harry Potter boxes remains unanswered. Thanks to J.K. Rowling’s aggressive stance against the Trans community, many players no longer want anything to do with Harry Potter, and Ultimate Guard has released a series of deckboxes using Harry Potter’s IP. This has caused many to lose trust in Ultimate Guard, and this generative AI apology likely won’t change that.
This is a great first step from Ultimate Guard to commit itself to the standards of its customer base, but there’s still work to be done.
Stick with us at mtgrocks.com: the best place for Magic: The Gathering coverage!