Paizo rejects AI-art claims over Pathfinder’s “Feybound”

Paizo has rejected claims that artificial-intelligence-generated illustrations appeared in “Feybound,” a Pathfinder sourcebook released Nov. 4. The dispute began after fans highlighted seven images in a Reddit post on Nov. 10, pointing to apparent asymmetrical temple pillars, impossible architecture and figures or animals that seemed to merge together.

The publisher told Wargamer that it had raised the concerns with the artist responsible, who denied using AI. Paizo said its art director supported the artist, citing their substantial previous work for the company, and thanked the community for bringing the allegations forward.

The images have also prompted debate in Paizo’s own forums. Participants disagreed over whether the apparent irregularities demonstrated generative-AI use or could instead be mistakes by a human artist. Paizo said it takes allegations of AI products being used in its art seriously, but maintained that it does not use AI art in its products.

The company said all of its artists sign contracts that clearly prohibit artificial intelligence in their creations. That position follows a public policy set out in 2023, when Paizo said it would not use AI-generated creative work of any kind for the foreseeable future and would require submitted work to be made by humans.

In that earlier statement, Paizo said the increasing interest, use and quality of algorithm-generated imagery and text had led it to take a firm position. It argued that AI art and writing-prompt programs threatened the livelihoods of the artists and writers with whom it had built its business since launching in 2002, and that the technology’s ethical and legal circumstances remained unclear.

Paizo also said AI-generated material was not permitted on its Pathfinder Infinite and Starfinder Infinite community-content marketplaces. The publisher said customers should be able to expect a human touch in its releases.

“Feybound” is a Pathfinder 2E Remaster book centred on fey and fairy-tale material. Its contents include creatures, items, archetypes, curses, transformations, memory magic and fey ancestries, alongside a gazetteer of the First World and expanded information about the Eldest.