The game development studio responsible for Silent Hill: Ascension has refuted claims suggesting the use of artificial intelligence in crafting the game’s dialogues. According to IGN, players have been circulating instances of the game’s writing on social platforms, alleging that Genvid, the developer, employed AI technology in its creation.
One such example involved a non-playable character (NPC) mentioned by former Giant Bomb video editor Jess ‘Voidburger’ O’Brien. The NPC briefly mentions berry hunting, acknowledges witnessing something peculiar in the woods without further elaboration, and then resumes the berry hunt.
In response to these allegations, Genvid’s CEO Jacob Navok took to X (formerly Twitter) to assert that every word in Ascension was meticulously crafted by real individuals with extensive writing backgrounds, including contributions to renowned titles like Telltale, Pixar, God of War: Ragnarok, Resident Evil Village, and more.
Navok elaborated further in a subsequent post, addressing the studio’s experimentation with AI in game development. While acknowledging previous tests aimed at enhancing animation and cinematic production, he noted the unsatisfactory outcomes characterized by repetitive animations and subpar scene compositions reminiscent of Left 4 Dead’s AI director, lacking the desired cinematic timing.
Despite these trials, Navok clarified that the studio had concluded most of its AI-related experiments by the conclusion of 2021, affirming that none of the AI-generated content was integrated into Ascension or any other projects. He emphasized the collaborative efforts of animators, writers, and narrative designers in shaping the game’s content, dismissing insinuations of AI involvement as a disservice to the dedicated human team.
Navok expressed skepticism regarding the current capabilities of AI in creative domains, highlighting the technology’s limitations in executing genuinely innovative work. Nonetheless, Genvid continues to explore AI applications in identifying offensive usernames during account registrations, albeit with room for improvement.
Silent Hill Ascension, akin to Genvid’s other releases, presents a choose-your-own adventure narrative format, where audience participation influences the storyline through live voting. Previous reports by IGN critiqued Ascension for its implementation of microtransactions, with player concerns raised about potential advantages for heavy spenders in voting outcomes.
Navok clarified that the concept of monetary influence on game progression is largely unfounded, underscoring the studio’s commitment to fair and engaging gameplay experiences.
