Pokémon Disqualifies Trading Card Art Contest Participants Amid AI Allegations [IGN]

The Pokémon Company has disqualified multiple entries of its 2024 Pokémon Trading Card Game Illustration Contest amid allegations of participants using artificial intelligence to create their submissions.

The competition, which offers artists the chance to win $5,000 and have their art put on a real card, announced its top 300 entries on June 14 but, soon after, many online pointed out what were likely AI generated images.

As reported by Eurogamer, The Pokémon Company has now banned any such submissions but didn’t mention AI directly. “We are aware that select entrants from the top 300 finalists of the Pokémon TCG Illustration Contest 2024 have violated the official contest rules,” it said on X/Twitter. “As a result, entrants in violation of the rules have been disqualified.

“We’re committed to upholding the integrity of the Pokémon TCG Illustration Contest and appreciate fans’ continued support as we celebrate the artistic abilities of the talented Pokémon community.” Legitimate artists who didn’t make the final cut will be bumped up to round out the final 300 participants.

I’m going to start with using this one as an example. Things that are mildly sus but excusable are marked in yellow/gold, while unexcusable things are marked in red. Similar to hands in AI generated images, the back paws here are a dead giveaway IMO, alongside crispness issues. pic.twitter.com/qygeFtX2DT

— stormy 🐍🍉 ukkomon apologist (@haruujin) June 14, 2024

While it is becoming increasingly difficult to tell if an image is AI-generated, there are many telltale signs that give the game away. Many X/Twitter users therefore pointed out the red flags, which include features such as inconsistent details, random sharp lines, and more.

AI has proved a controversial topic since its emergence in 2023, particularly among artists who find their work fed into its systems. Voice actors, for example, have seen their work copied and used to make their roles redundant, or have even had their voices used to create nefarious or explicit content. In May, Wizards of the Coast released a new FAQ addressing the use of generative AI in Dungeons & Dragons, admitting it “made mistakes” in its lack of transparency regarding this use in its art.

Meanwhile, there are a number of AI-related lawsuits such as ChatGPT maker OpenAI, which is being sued by 18 authors, including Game of Thrones author George R R. Martin, for copyright infringement. Both Meta and Microsoft also face legal action in the same realm; the former used copyrighted books to train its LLMs, while Microsoft (and OpenAI) are being sued by The New York Times for alleged “unauthorized use of published work” to train its AI tech.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.