Game developer 11 Bit Studios has issued a statement to clarify the use of generative AI in their upcoming title, The Alters. This clarification follows player feedback highlighting questionable elements, including what appeared to be AI-generated text in the game`s Captain`s Log and inconsistent subtitle translations. Players subsequently accused the studio of not disclosing their AI usage, particularly noting the absence of the required AI tag on the game`s Steam page, a requirement set by Valve. The studio provided their explanation via a post on X (formerly Twitter).
In their statement, the developers explained that AI-generated content was utilized only as a temporary placeholder during the development phase and was never intended to be part of the final game. They acknowledged that one specific AI-created asset was mistakenly included in the current build but confirmed it has since been replaced.
Regarding the translation issues, the studio stated that the affected text constitutes a very small portion (less than 0.3%) of the game`s total content and is limited to licensed in-game video segments. They attributed the use of AI translation in these instances to tight development deadlines, assuring players that a high-quality, professional localization is currently in preparation and will be delivered in an upcoming patch. The developers expressed regret for not communicating this information sooner and committed to reviewing their internal processes to prevent similar issues. However, the studio`s statement did not directly address the reason behind the missing AI disclosure tag on the Steam storefront page.