Shift Up CEO Kim Hyung Tae has responded to the backlash surrounding the use of generative AI in a recent promotional music video for Stellar Blade: Blood Rain. The video, titled 'Wanna Be In Love,' drew immediate criticism from fans who labeled the visuals as 'AI slop' upon release.
Addressing questions regarding the development process, Kim clarified on X (formerly Twitter) that the protagonist featured in the video was not generated by AI. 'Evie, the character at the heart of this video, was created from head to toe by our talented artists and modelers through more than a year of dedicated work,' Kim stated. He explained that the studio utilized its own in-house AI tools to render the character using the team's original designs and data, rather than having the AI create the character from scratch.
The Studio's Stance on AI
Despite the clarification, the response has not fully quelled fan criticism. Critics argue that even if the underlying assets are human-made, the use of AI to generate the final content remains a point of contention regarding labor valuation and artistic integrity. This incident aligns with previous comments from the Shift Up lead, who has identified AI as a necessary tool for the South Korean game industry to remain competitive against studios in the US and China.
Kim has requested that the audience view the 'Wanna Be In Love' video through the lens of 'meshing human creativity and AI.' Nonetheless, some fans remain skeptical of this approach, maintaining that the use of generative tools for promotional assets acts as a shortcut that devalues the work of the studio's creative staff.