Japanese game developer COLOPL partners with Stable Diffusion’s developer, garnering criticism
COLOPL has announced a partnership with Stability AI, developer of the text-to-image AI model Stable Diffusion. Through the partnership, Colopl will adopt Stability AI’s image generation technology to “accelerate productivity and create innovative gaming experiences” (source: ITmedia).
Colopl is a Japanese online and mobile game developer known for co-developing Square Enix’s Dragon Quest Walk. The company made headlines in the West earlier this year for scouting legendary Megami Tensei series designer Kazuma Kaneko after his departure from Atlus. Most recently, the developer announced a new isekai anime-themed game.
By using generative AI, Colopl hopes to “open up new possibilities in game development,” according to company chairman Kenta Sugai. Their use of Stability AI’s technology will be regulated by a new internal guideline (not yet made public), which is supposed to address legal and ethical concerns associated with generative AI.
Unsurprisingly, news of the partnership has not been met with much enthusiasm, with Japanese users on X expressing disappointment in the decision. Generative AI models are considered questionable in terms of copyright due to being trained on artwork without permission, so Colopl’s plans to use Stability AI’s technology are seen as inconsiderate towards such concerns. The new guideline the company mentions may include some clauses that will curb unethical use, but its contents are presently unknown.
