The Alters Game Accused of Not Disclosing Use of AI

The latest release from 11 Bit Studios, The Alters, has been highly praised by critics but is now facing backlash from players due to the use of generative AI, with potential discovery looming. The first viral mention of the case occurred last week when Heitor de Paola (one of the founders of the Overload website/podcast) posted on Bluesky a print showing a game scene where the Portuguese translation displayed the phrase “Of course! The translated text into Brazilian Portuguese is: Any conversation two people can have, right? So we-” This image was harshly criticized as it reveals the use of generative AI for game translation. However, there are indications that AI was used not only in translation: another image circulating on Reddit shows a print of a “screen” (like a monitor composing one of the game’s scenarios) where it is possible to read (in English) the phrase “Of course, here is a revised version focused solely on scientific and astronomical information.” Besides players feeling deceived for not being warned about the game’s AI-generated content, this discovery could cause problems for The Alters on Steam. The game, The Alters, is accused of not informing about AI use, with potential evidence surfacing through screenshots. As of now, there has been no official confirmation that The Alters indeed used AI-generated content. However, 11 Bit Studios has not issued any statement regarding AI use in the game or those questioning its usage.

Since January 2024, it has been mandatory for every game published on Steam that uses AI-generated content to explicitly state its use of this technology. This rule applies to any pre-generated AI content (sound, image, text, video, and even code) and any generated in real-time during gameplay. This signification is necessary so that Steam can analyze the game and ensure that this AI-generated content is fully owned and does not use anything that could infringe on image rights or the use of any other product or company. If The Alters usage of AI-generated content is confirmed, the game may be temporarily removed from Steam until the virtual store verifies that these AI-generated contents do not violate its rules. Check out our crowdfunding campaign and follow us on YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, TikTok, and Instagram through PlayersForLife channels.