Yesterday, Sega celebrated Sonic the Hedgehog's 35th birthday with an hours-long live stream. The event revealed several new Sonic games and updates to existing ones, including Sonic Frontiers Definitive Edition, Sonic and Sonic 2 Sega Genesis cartridges, and Sonic Classic and Modern collections.
The company also revealed Sonic Chaos Hunt, part game, part real-life competition where players must search for Chaos Emeralds that have been “destabilized and scattered across the United States.” While it's a fun idea with lucrative prizes, the game has come under immediate fire for its terms, which suggest that player data will be used to train AI for both Sega and third-party companies.
Sonic Chaos Hunt Comes Under Fire for Wild AI Training Terms and Conditions
Terms and conditions so often favor developers, allowing them to use the information they collect for their own good. In the wake of a great distrust of AI, however, Sonic Chaos Hunts is absolutely terrible.
“By using our Services, you acknowledge and consent to our collection, use and processing of your information, content and communications ('User Data') for the improvement, development and training of our artificial intelligence (AI) models and tools, and to provide our services to you,” read the T's&C's first by Bluesky user Luna Leo.
It adds “Your User Data may be used to train and improve our proprietary AI models” and “You acknowledge and agree that when integrated with these third-party AI models, your User Data (including any data derived from it) may continue to be used, analyzed and improved by both us and our third-party vendors for ongoing model improvements, product innovations and other business purposes.”
Your user data may continue to be used, analyzed and improved by both us and our third-party providers.
Those who find the Emeralds have a chance to win “exclusive Sonic rewards,” including “the ultimate VIP Club Chaos experience,” which includes flights, accommodations, and tickets to the club's NYC grand opening. However, these AI-focused terms may discourage people from entering.
AI has become an incredibly controversial issue in video games over the past 12 months. Just last week, Square Enix came under fire for appearing to use AI in its Kingdom Hearts Collection cover art, then later changing it, and Nier: Automata creator Yoko Taro said young developers face a “hell of a fight for the remaining jobs as AI takes them over.” These are just two of the controversies the incredibly unpopular AI has faced over the past year.
- Released
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June 23, 1991
- ESRB
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e
- Developer
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Sonic Team
- Engine
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the hedgehog engine
