Earlier this week, a group of former ZeniMax developers announced that they founded a new worker-owned studio after Microsoft mass layoffs. It's called Sackbird Studios, and the logo is a bird with a sack. Next accusations that this bird looked like it was created by artificial intelligencethe studio responded that this was not the case, but that some of the images were on their website.
Kotaku Ethan per reached out to Sackbird when they were questioned on social media about their avian superstitions. “Our brand logo was hand-drawn by an artist working directly with the founding team,” a studio spokesperson said in a response. “Some of the supporting visuals on our website, such as the Baltimore skyline and social media icons, were created using artificial intelligence tools and then tweaked and refined by us.”
“We didn't have an artist on staff at the time and were in a rush to meet a launch deadline, so AI helped us create a prototype quickly,” they continued, adding that they don't view the controversial technology as a “replacement for artists” but rather as “just another brush in the box.” “The ultimate look, humor and heart are all Sackbird,” the statement said.
This is certainly not the best option for a new studio, which will rightfully face harsh criticism for its use of AI in the future. The aspect of the statement that caught my attention was the idea that Sackbird is rushing to meet a launch deadline. Considering how strongly the group emphasized that it is “entirely employee-owned and funded, meaning we only respond to people who are passionate about gaming” in its launch press release, I'm struggling to understand how this deadline couldn't have been voluntarily set, at least to some extent, if employees have the level of control they offer.
However, getting the new venture up and running quickly and minimizing any delays in restoring revenue is at least an understandable motivation, especially since the Sackbird team was recently laid off from their previous jobs. Whether this justifies relying on AI instead of ensuring that paid artists are hired or commissioned to handle all the artwork needed to get through the all-important phase of launching your new studio is a judgment each of us must make individually.
