Soon after the release of the Touhou 20 demo, there were questions if the backgrounds featured in the game were generated by AI, as well as discussion on the drunk stream ZUN had last December where they also discussed AI.

Since the discussion was not archived and all we had was undetailed descriptions from a blog, I took the liberty of having someone ask around for more information regarding the stream, including the original writer of the blog itself, who has since updated the post.

We managed to get some information in regards as how ZUN uses ChatGPT, how he generated the background for the poster, what sort of AI he uses and why. In regards to his ChatGPT usage, it seems to be the same type of use he mentioned in a SCoOW interview, not using it for art.

For the background in the poster for the event if you look closely at the fractal patterns behind Reimu, the patterns are not consistent. It appears to have been created using either Photoshop or Adobe Firefly.

As for why he decided to use AI for that, it appears that it's because Adobe Firefly is (supposedly) trained using only their library of stock image and public domain materials, making it simply another source of stock image to draw from.

It is well documented that Touhou backgrounds make extensive usage of royalty free stock images, whether from reference books, asset packs, Wikiedia, or even Deviant Art. #th07_04 class="text-blue-500 hover:underline" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://nrr08.com/background.h... https://ohgosho.ehoh.net/index... https://kiribumekki50.wixsite.... https://kiribumekki50.wixsite.... https://x.com/richard_effendi/...

So since he already uses stock image he didn't make himself for the background, Adobe Firefly provides him with a quick way to get illustrations for backgrounds without needing to spend too much time searching all over the internet.

As for ZUN's stance on AI. Personally, I don't believe his stance is "AI is abhorrent", but it's not "AI is the future", either. It's simply that "AI is not a creative tool, but one for economy and efficiency".

Whether you think this makes his usage ok, that is up to you. I think it's ok if you're upset/disappointed and wish to no longer support the series/ZUN. But I also think it's ok if you're not bothered by it, as well. I don't think either reaction makes you more or less of a fan.

I had actually gathered most of the info from this thread since a few days ago, but I kept wondering if it was a good idea to discuss it at all, or if it would've been pouring gasoline into a fire. I was very much worried that people might turn to use my thread to harass others.

My hope is that everyone allows each other to process the entire thing in their own way, without needing to interfere or dictate how they're supposed to feel or what conclusion they should arrive to.

I wish I could add more info regarding the difference between the perception and concerns of AI, as well as the presence or lack thereof of "AI techbros" has influenced the discussion on AI, but I do not think I have enough ability to do that here.

That said, I hope you enjoyed reading this thread. Thank you. End of thread.