Publisher Dark Horse Comics stated on its “X” The Everything App that it will not accept AI-generated content from comic book artists.

Dark Horse explained that its statement was in response to “what has become a frequently asked question” and that its biggest concern is how generative AI will affect artists.

“Dark Horse Comics was originally founded to establish the ideal publishing environment for creative professionals and continues to this day with a focus on supporting independent creators.

“As such, Dark Horse does not endorse the use of AI-generated material in the works we publish. Our agreement includes language that creators agree not to use material generated by computer artificial intelligence programs in their works. Dark Horse is committed to supporting human creative professionals.”

In addition to its ideological commitment to supporting independent artists, this position makes strategic sense for Dark Horse. Dark Horse, which publishes comics based on “Hellboy,” “The Witcher,” “Dragon Age,” and “Mass Effect,” has a more niche and plugged-in audience than DC or Marvel It is easy to imagine that the use of AI tools could be controversial. Wizards of the Coast's acceptance of AI-generated art from freelancers for its Dungeons & Dragons sourcebook, and later its use of AI art in Magic the Gathering promotions, also drew a lot of flak from the publisher.

Dark Horse's statement also rhymes with similar news recently released by Nintendo. In a conference call with investors, company president Shuntaro Furukawa suggested that the company would not pursue generative AI technology for its games. Furukawa cited creative and copyright concerns as the reason behind the move, which makes a lot of sense given Nintendo's notorious defense of its own intellectual property.