Pax Romana AI Art Controversy

The well-reviewed grand strategy game Anno 117: Pax Romana has been captured with AI-generated art, and developer Ubisoft has officially commented on the matter. Anno 117: Pax Romana is the sequel to the 2019s Year 1800who was praised for – among other things – his impressive hand-drawn artwork.

It is perhaps because of this revered work of art that Anno 117The use of generative AI has been of particular note to fans. Since the game's launch on November 13, players have pointed out several characteristics of AI-generated images in wallpapers and loading screens. These images, which are often meant to be vivid, impressionistic depictions of Anno 117s ancient Rome setting, features strange artifacts, facial and limb distortions, and other common gen-AI signifiers. As it turns out, players were right to be suspicious, as Ubisoft has confirmed and explained the use of at least one of the illustrations in question.

Like many other modern PC games, Anno 117The Steam page reveals its use of generative AI, with a statement claiming that AI tools were used to create certain in-game assets, but that “the final product reflects [Ubisoft Mainz’s] craftsmanship and creative vision.”

Ubisoft admits to using “Placeholder” AI Art in Anno 117: Pax Romana

Even if several pieces Anno 117s in-game art has been called AI-generated, Ubisoft has really only responded to one of the culprits: a loading screen illustration of a crowd at a rich banquet. This image contains what many consider to be dead giveaways for AI generation, with background subjects showing blurred, distorted faces and bizarre physical proportions. As reported by TheGamer, Ubisoft responded with this statement:

“This image was a placeholder asset that inadvertently slipped through our review process. The final image is attached here and will replace the current version of this artwork with the upcoming 1.3 patch. With Anno 117: Pax Romana As we're our most ambitious Anno yet, we've assembled the largest team of artists ever for the franchise, and to help meet the project's unique scope, they're using AI tools for iteration, prototyping, and exploration. Every element that players will experience in the final game reflects the team's craftsmanship, artistry and creative vision.”

Ubisoft has since published a new banquet image, which appears to be free of gen AI staples. At the time of writing is Assassin's Creed the publisher has yet to comment on the other illustrations that have been deemed AI-generated by the public, and they appear to still be in Anno 117.

This is likely not the last time audiences will hear about AI art in relation to Anno 117. Ubisoft claims the AI image was a placeholder that “slipped through” its review process, but it seems somewhat surprising that Ubisoft Mainz would miss such an obvious mistake. After all, players noticed that these were AI images almost immediately. The sequence of events certainly doesn't do the publisher-developer any favors, as it only fixed the illustration after being “caught” by the audience, and the persistence of other seemingly AI-generated images will likely continue to spark discussion going forward.