Activision Blizzard has started using AI to pick up the slack left by laid-off artists

A hot potato: Generative AI systems have been shaking things up for over a year. It would be almost comical watching all these big companies fighting to one-up each other if it weren’t for the fact that they are shoving the nascent technology down everyone’s throats without allowing an option to opt-out in many cases.

Aside from the obvious dangers of deepfakes and disinformation, many have fears that generative AI has come for their jobs, and they aren’t entirely wrong. According to anonymous insiders, the shift has already quietly begun at Activision Blizzard.

A former Call of Duty artist claims that last year, company heads promised in internal memos that they would only use AI to generate concept art and other material that would not go into the game. However, by the end of 2023, Activision had already released AI-generated content in the form of avatar skins in CoD:MW3.

The Yokai’s Wraith cosmetic bundle was reportedly created with generative AI.

In January, Phil Spencer announced Microsoft was laying off almost 2,000 staffers. Although there was no breakdown of the cuts, a second source told Wired that many of those laid off were 2D artists. This claim jives with the studio’s eagerness to use AI for concept art. It also makes sense, considering that models are much better at generating 2D art than they were even a year ago.

Activision didn’t limit the cuts to just CoD staff. At the same time that 2D artists were getting let go at Activision CoD, former Overwatch 2 artist Lucas Annunziata tweeted that Blizzard fired over half of its environmental art team. It wasn’t just temps and junior staff either. Annunziata said Blizzard sacked associate- and senior-level artists, as well.

What a fucked up day. Half the environment art team cut from OW2, folks I helped hire and train. associate-senior levels looking for work if your teams have openings plop em below.

– �’��-� Lucas Annunziata �-��’� (@Annunziata3D) January 25, 2024

Before bashing Microsoft/Activision Blizzard, remember that it’s not the only one in the industry considering replacing humans with AI or has already secretly done so. Embracer announced its AI ambitions last month, carefully labeling it “human-centric,” after laying off 1,500 employees since June 2023. Many others have cut their workforce by double-digit percentages, citing everything but AI.

If studios are already laying off some highly talented artists because AI can create passable art for free, the issue will only escalate as the models get better. Today, 2D artists are losing their jobs. It could be 3D artists, set creators, level designers, and even programmers on the chopping block tomorrow.