Key information
Epic Games has quietly replaced an in-game artwork in Fortnite after players discovered a Google Gemini AI watermark in the corner of the graphic. The artwork was featured alongside the music track "Meow" by Ironmouse, Sleeping Forest & HalaCG, which was added to the game last month.
The watermark went mostly unnoticed until the previous weekend, when its discovery sparked discussion on Reddit and social media. Closer inspection revealed that the Gemini mark was already present in the track's original artwork on Spotify, indicating that the AI usage originated with the creators of the track art rather than Epic Games.
AI-generated artwork remains contentious among Fortnite fans, who have previously scrutinized other suspected examples of AI usage in the game. Although Epic Games has experimented with AI during the conceptual phase of creating characters and locations, the company has avoided explicitly confirming if specific in-game art is AI generated.
By swapping out the graphic for an alternate version lacking the Gemini watermark, Epic Games appears to be avoiding the open display of obvious AI elements in Fortnite. Additionally, Disney recently addressed rumors regarding a potential acquisition of Epic Games, stating over the weekend that it has no current plans to act on such a purchase.
