GOG "won't be making absolute statements in either direction" about their future approach to AI use

Retro PC game sellers GOG have faced criticism recently for using a piece of artwork made using AI tools to promote their store’s new year sale. The storerunners have since claimed that this banner was a work-in-progress asset which slipped through onto the store by mistake. Now, the platform’s managing director has revealed that the company are “not planning on making absolute statements in either direction” in terms of their future AI use, following the backlash.

Maciej Gołębiewski, GOG’s managing director, made that declaration as part of a response to a question from a user in an official QnA session on r/gog. The user asked whether “general negative reception to use of AI generated materials” would lead the storefront to steer clear of the tech going forwards.

“We’re not planning on making absolute statements in either direction,” Gołębiewski wrote. “AI tools are one of many technologies we test and try out, and in some contexts it genuinely helps us push the company (and the mission) forward. What we will change, though, is how and where those tools are used; we understand that using new technology doesn’t mean skipping human judgment.”

Elsewhere in the thread, Gołębiewski answered a user who asked whether KosmicznaPluskwa, the senior graphic designer who was the first GOG staffer to acknowledge the backlash to the AI banner via a forum post last week, is still working at GOG following an apparent sudden disappearance from GOG’s Discord server. “Leaving the Discord server was a personal decision and we understand it,” the managing director responded. “As mentioned, spotlight and social pressure can be overwhelming, this is a difficult situation for us internally as well. That said, we won’t be sharing any further personal details and we’d like the community to respect that boundary.”

GOG’s new owner Michał Kiciński is also a part of the two hour long QnA, which is still in progress as of writing and is set to run until 4PM CET / 3PM GMT, but he hasn’t issued any responses of his own to the questions about the storefront’s AI use as of yet. He has responded to a user asking about GOG’s Linux support plans, basically saying that it’s something the company are keen on and are seeking a senior engineer to help them deliver.