Please provide your opinion on the use of AI generated content in Thief FMs - by Yandros
Yandros on 1/9/2026 at 04:08
This topic has been discussed a lot lately, and it's clear that there are strong feelings on both sides. Before we consider doing anything as a community, I felt it wise to gauge the feelings of everyone who makes and plays fan missions on the subject. I will not say that majority vote will necessarily win here, but it will certainly provide some data points for the discussion. At the moment all we have are angry people on both sides and people leaving the community, and those are things I want to stop.
How can using AI be helpful to fan mission authors?
I would imagine by now, many of you have seen AI generated videos and music online. For those who aren't aware, generative AI provides the ability through either online or local setups to generate resources that can be used in fan missions.
These things currently include but are not limited to:
* Assisting the author in developing story ideas
* Generating artwork for textures and paintings
* Generating music for background ambients or for use in briefings
* Generating voice lines when voice actors are not available or desired
* Generating in-game texts, as well as briefing and readme texts
What are some reasons not to want people using AI for this?
While those are a suite of powerful tools for an FM author working alone without easy access to artists, voice actors, or writers, there are definitely downsides which those opposed to its use have pointed out.
Among them are:
* Quality can be inferior to human-produced content
* Art theft (involuntary training on works of art and style techniques)
* AI generated content can be easily recognized and possibly disrupt the visual design
* AI has cost some people their jobs when employers have chosen to replace them with AI tools
* Environmental concerns over the use of water and electricity by AI data centers (applies generally only to online generation)
* The growth of AI usage in recent years has contributed to the rise in prices of GPUs and RAM globally
Please respond by choosing the one option which best represents your feelings on FM authors using AI generated content in their fan missions.
The poll is anonymous, so you can feel free to vote honestly.
DO NOT make arguments for or against in this thread, or begin suggesting courses of action for the community. Those things will come in time.
Yandros on 2/9/2026 at 17:49
Just to reiterate:
DO NOT make arguments for or against in this thread, or begin suggesting courses of action for the community. Those things will come in time.
I will be just deleting any posts which don't adhere to this. Ideally there really shouldn't even be any discussion in this poll thread at all.
Hucklebarry on 2/9/2026 at 19:39
I dont intend this to be discussion, I'm hopeful this is the correct place to put this. Please delete and forgive if in error, I just wanted to suggest that I cant discern the difference between the first and last option. They seem the same to me.
Kubrick on 2/9/2026 at 19:51
Quote Posted by Hucklebarry
I dont intend this to be discussion, I'm hopeful this is the correct place to put this. Please delete and forgive if in error, I just wanted to suggest that I cant discern the difference between the first and last option. They seem the same to me.
The way I see it, first is neutral, last one is positive on AI usage. Second is discouraged, third is total opposition.
Maybe, if it can be done, they could be rearranged in a neat degree of positive to negative feeling, or viceversa. The mixup is done in statistics and anonymous interviews when you don't want the feeling of people to affect their answer but to choose between a few, which is not really the case here, being that what's being polled is precisely the general sentiment. Maybe that can be left for the next poll anyway. No need to answer and same, if it's wrong, you could just edit or delete my comment.
Yandros on 2/9/2026 at 20:03
That is correct. First is indifferent, fourth is supporting of AI use. I can't rearrange the poll and the order shouldn't matter as long as the options are clear. Hopefully this helps.
Hucklebarry on 2/9/2026 at 21:16
Hey, Yandros, I appreciate that you can't change the poll now, but for consideration I would ask that "i think its fine" and "i don't care" are of the same spirit. Especially in terms of this discussion. I see it as a break down in 3 view points:
1. Yes
2. rahter not / Maybe
3. No
I'm just thinking it muddies the water and splits some tallying. Just my 2 cents for your consideration (again, for after the poll or future polls). Thanks for your efforts.
lordhern on 2/9/2026 at 23:01
I generally don't notice AI usage - but when I do it's often because it crosses the uncanny valley where it starts to irk me. audio trips my 'zombie' sense too easily.
Briareos H on 3/9/2026 at 11:51
Quote Posted by Hucklebarry
I'm just thinking it muddies the water and splits some tallying. Just my 2 cents for your consideration (again, for after the poll or future polls). Thanks for your efforts.
Don't think I agree, the proposed choices reflect well the categories of answers the original thread got (indifferent / generally negative / vehemently negative / positive) and it's good to confirm how representative those answers were. How to pool the answers and what to do with them can come next.
IMO the poll is good, the only thing I'd do different would be to make it public but it's because I'm an ass :cool:
Yandros on 3/9/2026 at 12:00
I understand your point Hucklebarry, but Briareos is spot on with why they were separated. Also, the two similar options can always be considered together from a counting standpoint when it comes time to talk about the results.
One other note - several people who cannot vote for some reason have asked me to give them the ability to vote. That is something that is not within my power to do as a moderator, you will have to reach out to an admin like al_b to ask about that.
SplatterhouseVideo on 3/9/2026 at 16:40
Quote Posted by Yandros
One other note - several people who cannot vote for some reason have asked me to give them the ability to vote. That is something that is not within my power to do as a moderator, you will have to reach out to an admin like al_b to ask about that.
I'd assume these are people with accounts created a bit before the poll though right? I'd hope admins are holding off on giving voting perms to any accounts made on or after the 31st until the poll ends.
