itch.io

First: I don’t have dogma, I have a brain and I use logic. Here some have spoken against using AI (or did you skip that part of the messages?). Besides, you yourself are against AI when you say: “The only things I see calling for change are Big Tech, who benefit monetarily from pushing AI trash.” You just called it “AI trash” (by the way, the one I use doesn’t charge me anything, so they’re not making money off me, at least not directly).

Second: I’ll assume you’re referring to other people and not to me. But if that were the case, and not to miss the opportunity… let me clarify (and I apologize if you weren’t referring to me, but the message is directed at me, so…) You’d be the stupid one—it’s disrespectful and rude—that without knowing me, without knowing anything about me, you say I want to “compensate for my stupidity.” Once again, it’s you who is stupid, since you don’t think—you only have a brain to repeat like a parrot, without thinking logically or considering results.

My skills are technical; I’ve been a Computer Engineer for more than 30 years, but I’m not a Graphic Artist. AI should not turn me into something I already am: an Applications and Video Games Developer—not just now, but since 2001, when I began programming with knowledge. I speak of realities with evidence, with practical examples, not of ideas, mental blindness, or fanaticism, which I do not share.

But I won’t continue, because I’ll follow Mark Twain’s words: “Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.”

I beg to differ. I'm working on a game and using AI art for both photographic and artistic character portraits has enabled me to make a game I otherwise wouldn't be able to. I'm making everything else myself, except ChatGPT has also been a great help in learning C# and Unity. The ideas are my own, the photos I use for backgrounds are taken by me (I must've taken hundreds by now so I have plenty to choose from), the nearly 30 000 words so far of dialogue and narration were written by me, and all the music and sound effects will all be made by humans. The idea for the game is my own, and I'm the one brainstorming the scenes, characters, and conversations. I'm the one doing research and pouring my own experiences and reflections into the game to hopefully make it feel insightful, make people think and laugh, and cover some important topics. I could go on, but you get the idea.

SPIRIT is my first real big project and if it's ever completed and takes off, no one would be happier than me if I was able to do what the The Roottrees are Dead developer did and hire a human artist to make new portraits, but right now? No chance. No artists are missing out on work because I wouldn't be able to hire them anyway, and I doubt anyone would be willing to make a large number of character portraits for free.

You're free to be as opposed to this new technology as you want, but unfounded, generalizing rants about stupidity and desperation only makes you look dogmatic and uninformed. Also funny how using AI assets is lazy, but no one bats an eye at using free assets from for example Unity, even though this arguably takes considerably less effort and creativity than making assets from scratch with AI.