Controversy Surrounds The Alters as Players Spot AI-Generated Content

A few weeks after the release of The Alters, the sci-fi survival game from the creators of Frostpunk, players have uncovered signs of AI-generated content, sparking online debate. The developers, 11 bit Studios, did not disclose the use of neural network-generated assets, leading to criticism from parts of the community.

One of the most notable examples comes from in-game textures. In the command center, a tablet displaying calculation data features a line seemingly addressed to a ChatGPT user: "Sure, here’s a revised version focused purely on scientific and astronomical data."

Another instance was found in the subtitles of an in-game movie watched by the Alters. Portuguese-speaking players pointed out that one line read exactly like a machine-translated prompt response. Additionally, some in-game images also show telltale signs of AI generation.

While the use of AI tools in game development is increasingly common and often helps studios streamline production, some players were upset that 11 bit Studios did not disclose the presence of AI-generated content on The Alters’ Steam page. The backlash grew after localization contributors voiced their concerns on LinkedIn. Handong Ryu, responsible for the Korean translation, claimed that portions of the text appeared to be AI-generated at the last minute, without approval or proper proofreading.

As of this writing, 11 bit Studios has yet to comment on the allegations, and the Steam page for The Alters still does not mention AI-generated content.

It is worth mentioning that The Alters received positive reviews from critics. The unique survival simulator is available on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, as well as via Game Pass.