Activision Announced Guitar Hero Mobile with Poorly Generated AI Artwork
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- Guitar Hero Mobile was announced with an artwork that contains artifacts typical of low-quality AI generation.
- A few days earlier, Activision admitted that generative AI tools had been used to create certain in-game assets for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
- It is reported that Activision runs ads on Facebook and Instagram with AI-generated images.
Guitar Hero Mobile was announced by Activision via an Instagram post showcasing a piece of promotional artwork that contains artifacts typical of low-quality AI generation.
The announcement was overshadowed by the fact that Activision Blizzard, whose market capitalization at the time of writing stands at approximately $74.5 billion, used an AI-generated picture of very poor quality to promote a successful game title.
An image on the post features peculiar artifacts that indicate low-quality AI generation, including distorted circles meant to represent notes, four oddly twisted guitar-wielding figures, and amplifiers that resemble washing machines — all arranged in eerily similar poses. It is worth noting that at the time of writing, the featured artwork was heavily criticized by users in the post’s comment section.
It is not the first time the company has faced backlash over AI artwork. At the end of February 2025, Activision confirmed that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 contains AI-generated in-game assets.
On top of that, X account CharlieIntel, dedicated to covering the latest Call of Duty news, shared images with similar AI-generated artifacts, reporting that Activision is running ads on Facebook and Instagram asking for feedback on “Call of Duty: Sniper” and “Call of Duty Zombies Defender” mobile games. According to the report, the ads direct users to a survey seeking opinions on these potential titles.
