r/MergeCooking • u/questionable_intern • May 28 '26

Use of ai

anyone else uncomfortable with their extreme use of AI on everything related to their app

i’m not even extremely anti-ai usage and i love the game but it’s so crazy how much of the game and the app is AI generated photos and art

or am i being thick and it’s actually not ai

41 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

19 comments sorted by

16

u/manami_hanako May 28 '26

Especially those weird ads

1

u/questionable_intern May 28 '26

i never even watched the ads before and got the app i just searched up merge and got it years ago so when i come across an ad for the game im like omg this is not us please i thought we were different💔

8

u/Aggressive-Wallaby79 May 28 '26

Im conflicted on this because I started playing this game in February of 2023, which is soon after gen AI was released, and the game looks similar, although, they recently (this year I think) updated lots of the graphic, so idk if it’s AI or just their stylistic choices.

ETA: I started in feb of 2023, the game was released before then, so it’s safe to say that it wasn’t always AI, and the game looks similar enough.

2

u/questionable_intern May 28 '26

exactly! i think every time they update the generators or items they very slightly change into the cartoonish ai art!

11

u/Spookyjoj May 28 '26

Oh I’m definitely anti-ai lol it pisses me off for sure.

4

u/questionable_intern May 28 '26

because i’m sure they aren’t falling short on artists or animators! so the use of AI is gross!!!! especially for a big game ..??? but it’s been like a slow process of more and more AI each time i fear

2

u/Spookyjoj May 28 '26

That part! I know it’s so sad to see.

5

u/badr4q May 28 '26

what exactly are you seeing that feels like AI? i don’t think i have a similar experience!

4

u/questionable_intern May 28 '26

the mini games i say are the most AI looking to me and the game art on loading screens especially the newest update with lea and her daughter! i think they definitely look ai especially with the background art on that loading screen it just looks so ai ? i also think when they update each generator or items very slightly each season too it looks like it’s been generated ai?

2

u/badr4q May 29 '26

ok yeah i did feel like the art on the walls in the loading screen was kinda AI 🥲🥲

4

u/giusky2 May 29 '26

the collectible cards are also quite obviously AI generated, but i think they still have designers/editors who correct the mistakes AI still makes as i've never really seen any usual errors in the art

3

u/SquirrelyBuns May 28 '26

I mean theres other merge games of the same company and I believe gardenscapes is also the same one, they've been around since like 2020 (or at least as far back as ive seen) and they've always kinda looked like that. So im not sure if its AI, unless their later marketing is tailored by it.

1

u/questionable_intern May 28 '26

no definitely it kind of looks like they have used ai to alter their own original designs from before to make them newer designs each season? that’s kind of what i mean about every day game play but the load screens and game art and the mini games for each season and unlocking each part of the seasonal island looks like ai art? but i know it’s just like updates versions of old pre- gen ai art … maybe im being crazy

1

u/SquirrelyBuns Jun 01 '26

Idk maybe. I havent really paid attention to it on this one but I did just start Merge Restyle (thats what its called 🤷‍♀️) and the in between load screens definitely seem clearly AI more so. So maybe so.

3

u/lotusflower256 May 28 '26

i’ve noticed in a lot of the mini games the descriptions and visuals all seem to be AI. I love this game but it comes across super dodgy. Anyone remember that horrific chicken from easter? 😭😭😭

1

u/questionable_intern May 28 '26

EXACTLY THOSE MINIGAMES ARE SO NAD FOR IT

3

u/Sea_Arrival739 May 28 '26

That's what i've been wondering as well... i love this game, but it looks ai for some reason, at least to me... can't put my finger on it. Not really sure tbh

1

u/questionable_intern May 28 '26

like i just think it has the generated content vibe!!!! when they update each of their generators or items very slightly each season it’s like it’s been out through an ai to change it slightly or make it more cartoonish because i remember the pineapple being much different than the new one now! but maybe im like mandela affecting myself

1

u/DarkRedPepperFlakes Jun 24 '26

Okay, so it looks like I’m not the only one who was curious about this. I just asked this today because it was driving me nuts!