The Kingdom Hearts Collection [I~III] box art for the Switch 2 version of the game has sparked a debate among fans about the role of AI in its creation. At first glance, the artwork featuring Donald, Goofy, Mickey, and several versions of Sora seems innocuous, but a closer look reveals apparent signs of generative AI. The issue began with Donald Duck's hands, which had five fingers, an unusual trait for a Disney character. This was just the tip of the iceberg, as various visual details, from gears on a clock tower to the mesh of Donald's zipper, seemed to indicate the sloppy work of AI trying to fudge things. This led to concerns that the entire image might have been mostly AI-generated or a composite of individual parts created by AI. However, online artist DekuDraws, known for their expertise in emulating Kingdom Hearts designer Tetsuya Nomura's style, offered a convincing theory. They argued that the artwork was originally created by Nomura, but the version used for box art or promotional material was later upscaled using AI. This theory would solve the mystery of the artwork, as much of it seems to be perfectly fine. However, it raises questions about the necessity of using AI in the composition process, especially given Square Enix's CEO's stance on leveraging genAI for various aspects of game development, including QA work. This posturing has occurred while the company has been cutting positions across its North American publishing operation. The debate surrounding the use of AI in game development is a complex one, and it remains to be seen how Square Enix will navigate this issue in the future.
