Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Under Fire for Alleged Use of Generative AI in Calling Cards
The controversy centers on specific Calling Cards tied to the 'Jack of All Trades' and 'Embrace the Nightmare' campaign challenges. According to numerous posts circulating on social media and the game's official Reddit page, these particular cards bear a distinct visual style—described by some users as similar to the popular AI-generated Studio Ghibli recreations—that suggests generative AI was involved in their creation.
This player speculation is supported by a mandatory disclaimer found on the game’s Steam page. In this note, the developers confirm: "Our team uses generative AI tools to help develop some in game assets." While the disclaimer does not specify which assets utilized AI, players quickly identified the distinct art style of these Calling Cards as a prime example.
Community Reaction: Outrage and Indifference
The community response is sharply divided:
Outrage over Value: Many players expressed anger that content created using AI tools is included in a premium-priced title. One user noted the high cost of the game and stated, "I personally enjoy this game, but this is [a] ridiculous amount of money for a game with tons of AI generated content." Another reaction was simply, "Damn that's awful f**k this."
Indifference to Source: Conversely, some players were unconcerned about the use of AI, provided the final visual quality is acceptable. One user commented, "This looks normal. I don't give a shit who or what created the image as long as it looks normal."
The incident underscores the growing debate around the role of AI in game development, particularly as Activision operates under the ownership of Microsoft, whose CEO, Satya Nadella, has previously emphasized the company's aggressive "double-down on AI."
The developer has been reached for comment to confirm whether these specific Calling Cards were created using generative AI tools.
