• Indie publisher and developer Finji has accused TikTok of using generative AI to alter the ads for its games on the platform without its knowledge or permission. • Finji, which published indie darlings like Night in the Woods and Tunic , said it only became aware of the seemingly modified ads after being alerted to them by followers of its official TikTok account. • As reported by IGN , Finji alleges that one ad that went out on the platform was modified so it displayed a “racist, sexualized” representation of a character from one of its games. • While it does advertise on TikTok, it told IGN that it has AI “turned all the way off,” but after CEO and co-founder Rebekah Saltsman received screenshots of the ads in question from fans, she approached TikTok to investigate. • A number of Finji ads have appeared on TikTok, some that include montages of the company’s games, and others that are game-specific like this one for Usual June . • According to IGN , the offending AI-modified ads (which are still posted as if they’re coming directly from Finji) appeared as slideshows.
Article Summaries:
- Indie publisher Finji has accused TikTok of using generative‑AI tools to alter its game ads without the studio’s permission. The publisher, which has its AI‑based ad options disabled, learned of the changes when followers of its official TikTok account posted screenshots of a “racist, sexualized” ad for the game Usual June. Finji said the image misrepresented the character with exaggerated features. TikTok initially denied evidence of AI‑generated content but later acknowledged the issue, said it was investigating, and explained the ad was part of a “catalog ads” format that the publisher had inadvertently opted into. The platform declined to comment further.
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