US Congressman Ro Khanna has responded to Activision Blizzard’s AI use in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, highlighting the need for AI regulations in the United States of America.
Taking to social media and responding to a viral post about the AI calling cards in the recent AAA FPS, Khanna wrote: “We need regulations that prevent companies from using AI to eliminate jobs to extract greater profits. Artists at these companies need to have a say in how AI is deployed. They should share in the profits. And there should be a tax on mass displacement.”
In response to queries to whether AI was explicitly used to create these calling cards, Activision responded late last week with the following statement: “Like so many around the world, we use a variety of digital tools, including AI tools, to empower and support our teams to create the best gaming experiences possible for our players. Our creative process continues to be led by the talented individuals in our studios.”
Here’s the multiplayer trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7Watch on YouTube
These calling cards, as well as the campaign for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, have been met with a negative reception from the wider Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 fanbase, with some shocked at how apparent the use of image generation software appears to be across some portions of the game.
Ro Khanna, for his part, has been pushing for AI regulation for some time now. As early as January 2024 the congressman was pushing for wider controls for the massive industry, one which is now taking up a vast amount of US growth and investment.
Generative AI use has started to become rather widespread across the video game industry, or at the very least, that’s what public statements from developer owners have indicated. Square Enix recently noted its intent to replace 70 percent of its QA work with generative AI, while a survey at Tokyo Game Show noted over half of Japanese developers were using AI in some form. It’s certainly not isolated to Eastern development either, with Embracer’s CEO acknowledging his company’s intent to leverage AI and Microsoft’s insistence on AI use as two examples of large Western moves to embrace the tech.
If you want to learn more about Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, you can read Eurogamer’s review! In it, reviewer Jeremy Peel describes it as : “A shift away from single-player leaves Call of Duty with its most lopsided and homogenous entry in decades, though what it does offer is consistently good fun when accepted on its own terms.”