In a decision intended to support talented writers and artists, tabletop roleplaying game publisher Paizo has announced that AI art and text will not be allowed in its products. Paizo is the editor, among other TRPGs, of Pathfinder, which serves as the basis for the popular video game role-playing game, Pathfinder: Kingmaker (opens in new tab) and Pathfinder: Wrath of the Just (opens in new tab).
“The ethical and legal issues surrounding ‘AI art’ and writing instant programs – and the serious threat they pose to the livelihoods of partners who have helped us get to where we are as a company today – require that we firmly oppose the use of this technology in Paizo products,” the company said in a statement sent to Twitter (opens in new tab).
There have been many questions about the future of AI art and text in the TTRPG industry. The short answer is: Paizo stands with artists and writers. pic.twitter.com/7G0Xj3HvuHMarch 1, 2023
Along with its own products, Paizo will expand the AI-generated band of content to its Pathfinder Infinite program, allowing other companies and fans to create and sell material officially compatible with the TRPG. That’s perhaps a bigger statement from Paizo, as many consider third-party supplements to be the lifeblood of the TRPG community.
“Our clients expect a human touch from our releases, and as long as the ethical and legal issues surrounding these programs remain unclear and undefined, we are unwilling to associate our brands with the technology in any way,” said Paizo.
Paizo doesn’t rule out changing its policies in the future, but stresses that for now, “human artists and writers” are its lifeblood:
“Put simply, when you buy a Paizo product, you can be assured that it is the work of human professionals who have spent years honing their craft to do the best job possible,” the company said. “Paizo will not be using any AI-generated ‘creative’ work of any kind for the foreseeable future. We thank the human artists and writers who have been so integral to our success in the past, and we look forward to working with them for many years to come.”
It’s a message of support that writers and visual artists will surely appreciate, although some have pointed out that it is not representative of a glittering record of such support: Paizo has been criticized in the past by workers who founded one union in 2021which the company has voluntarily recognized – and writers and artists in the TRPG space have complained about Paizo’s tariffs.
Frustration in the writing and art industries over the fallout from the AI generation has increased over the past year. Leading sci-fi magazine Clarkesworld has temporarily suspended submissions (opens in new tab) due to a spate of gruesome AI-generated stories, and US government regulators just this week warned companies (opens in new tab) stop exaggerating the capabilities of their AI products.
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