Publishing

Not AI-nevitable

Lester

I’m no Luddite. I was raised on hard sci-fi as much as any other sort, and as an adult I’ve dealt with much more code and gear than is typical for my profession. I wouldn’t be surprised if a machine intelligence inherits this earth from us in the far future, as the next evolution of human intelligence.

That having been said, what we’re being pitched as AI right now is a buzzword for a stock market feeding frenzy. For a few educated opinions on that subject, see “Anatomy of an AI Reckoning,” “This is How the AI Bubble Bursts,” and “AI Is the Bubble to Burst them All.”

The purpose of this post, however, isn’t to debate the bubble. It’s to focus on how the narrative is used in game publishing as an excuse for sidestepping  artists. Something referred to by the scholars cited in that third article as “Coordination or Alignment of Beliefs Through Narratives.”

The narrative is that “AI art is inevitable.” I’m here to push back against the proliferation of that nearsighted notion. If you want to use AI art in your publications, that’s all well and good, but let’s not pretend it’s justified as inevitable.

Let me start with a straightforward practicality: The US Copyright Office stated that AI-generated artwork based on text prompts isn’t protected by copyright. Earlier this week, the US Supreme Court declined to review the lawsuit challenging that. Which is to say that if you publish a book with an AI-generated cover and illustrations, anyone is free to take all that art and use it on their own product. Same cover, same interior art, conceivably even an AI rewrite on the same topic, resulting in a book nearly indistinguishable from your own.

And let me follow by stating that the proliferation of AI art in publishing is based upon a couple of amateurish assumptions:

First, the assumption that every game needs art. This is ignorance of the power of graphic design. (Consider Cards Against Humanity as a perfect example of artless design.)

Second, the assumption that AI can make art virtually as good as a human illustrator could. This one, I suspect, is the heart of the matter. The thought that AI brings out the natural talent in someone, putting them on par with a trained illustrator. But the thing about true expertise is that it makes things look easier than they really are. True art takes passion, training, and materials. AI art will always lack the first of those three.

AI art is a parlor trick. And in this case, the person most fooled is the stage magician themself.

I am not a Linux evangelist, but . . .

Lester

If you’ll forgive this YouTube video’s clickbait title, the content is actually a pretty balanced explanation of what’s happening with Windows right now.

For most of the past 40+ years, I’ve been a Windows user because that’s what was generally an employer’s OS for writing and editing. And for a home computer, it’s been cheaper than Apple. But when an employer preferred Apple, I’ve happily used Apple. I may have bristled at Apple’s gated community, but I’ve also admired the stability it brought.

So whenever friends or family members have asked about their best choice, I’ve sized up their needs and personality, and suggested either OS to suit. Never have I suggested Linux; I didn’t even want to go down that path myself.

But now? If asked for a recommendation, Linux would be a reasonable third option. Apple for stability and ease of use, Windows for compatibility to most publishers, and some brand of Linux for simple, unobtrusive, day-to-day operation.

I’m not a Linux evangelist. Personally, for most self-publishing, I’m still using Windows 10, and I will until either (a) my old Thinkpad dies, (b) I run out of backdoor options for OS security updates, or (c) a Linux alternative to Affinity Publisher becomes available, to suit DriveThruRPG’s PDF requirements.*

I’m no Linux evangelist. But a few weeks ago I got so fed up with Windows 11’s bugginess and Cortana insistence that, with some trepidation, I replaced it with Linux Mint on the HP Envy x360 laptop I bought last year. The installation was nigh perfect directly from a thumb drive. I was thrilled to discover that even a popup touchscreen keyboard was available right “out of the box.” The single exception was no drivers for the internal speakers, and even that fix was just a simple OS update.

Watch the video. You’ll understand why Windows is becoming increasingly frustrating for the average user. Maybe an Apple Mac is the best choice for you. But don’t discount Linux altogether. It might be just the OS you’re looking for.

*Yes, Scribus can manage, but there’s less guidance for a sporadic user like me.

Cool Name RPG – big, free, Creative Commons

Lester
A free, community owned RPG

In January of 2023, when WotC/Hasbro floated the idea of revising their original open game license for D&D to something more restrictive, backlash from the tabletop role-playing community was immediate and severe. WotC/Hasbro quickly backtracked, but by then several other prominent companies had released their own OGLs. The D&D RPG is still dominant, of course, to say the least, but those other OGLs have seen a lot of traffic, too.

That same month, as part of the D&D OGL reaction, Mechanical Muse launched a Kickstarter to fund a truly community owned RPG system. Temporarily called the Cool Name RPG, it officially became titled the Open Adventure system, and you can get an entirely free Open Adventure PDF on DriveThruRPG, to use for play or publishing as you wish. There are also about four dozen professional pieces of art on that site, released into the public domain. Just do a search for “Open Adventure” on the DriveThruRPG website.

Clippy Came Too Soon

Lester

Remember how many people hated Clippy?

Modern AI “assistants” are like a Dunning-Kruger version of Clippy. We actually lose time double-checking an “AI Overview” for factual errors. Lose time scrolling past them. Lose time saying “No, thanks” when they offer aid.

We are unpaid test subjects for AI tech developers.

Anyway, earlier this year I bought a Windows 11 laptop, in preparation for the Win10 EOL in October. Figured I’d start transferring workflow from my old, trustworthy Thinkpad, which can’t be upgraded to Win11.

I’ll give Windows 11 this, the move gave my new machine automatic access to all my old files via OneDrive. It’s basically like looking at the same desktop and same contents in File Explorer.

What I’ve disliked is the constant AI interruption. And Microsoft has stated that they’re headed for total AI integration in the future.
Then there’s the fact that their most recent update fails on so many machines. Trying to work that out took me down a rabbit hole of terminal commands, which still hasn’t solved the problem.

Let me back up a second. Over the past few years, I’ve been experimenting with making various old Chromebooks run various versions of Linux. And exploring my Steam Deck’s desktop mode, using the machine as a laptop when traveling, installing a PS2 emulator, etc. I’ve tracked down terminal code for SD card drivers that even most Linux users said to give up on.

So it’s not that I’m unwilling to enter command line code. My publishing career began in the DOS Age.

It’s that I shouldn’t have to do that for Windows. And if I’m going to be entering terminal commands, why not ditch all the AI BS and just go to Linux?

So here I am, on that Win11-built laptop, using Linux Mint. The Mint installation was nearly seamless. I did have to run one short line of code to install speaker drivers, but unlike the Win11 update, it worked.

Your mileage may certainly vary. Lots of people are tied to MS Office by their employer. Or Adobe products. Others want to run Windows-compliant games. The one thing I’ll miss is Affinity.

I’m not trying to evangelize Linux. All I’m saying is that it’s a perfectly reasonable alternative. Linux Mint feels as comfortable as Windows XP or 8, or 10 if you prefer. And it doesn’t jam half-assed AI down your throat.

Just sayin’.

BTW, Windows 10 support was extended to October 2026, so my Thinkpad workhorse has at least another year going for it. So there’s one less machine headed to the landfill anytime soon.