11 Bit Studios Responds to AI Controversy in The Alters, Promises Handcrafted Replacements

The Alters developer 11 Bit Studios has officially addressed the growing controversy over the use of generative AI in the game’s in-game text and translations, confirming some AI-generated content did make it into the final release — though unintentionally. The studio has promised an update to replace these elements with handcrafted assets and more accurate human translations.

The situation first gained traction when players noticed a suspicious line of text displayed in the game’s Command Center. The phrase, “Sure, here’s a revised version focusing purely on scientific and astronomical data,” suggested a leftover AI prompt response that had somehow made it into the release version. While this was initially brushed off as an isolated slip-up, things escalated when players across various regions discovered similar tell-tale signs of AI in their localized versions of the game.

For instance, Brazilian Portuguese players reported unnatural phrasing like, “Sure! Here is the translated text into Brazilian Portuguese: Every conversation two people can have…” — text that clearly sounded like it had been generated by a language model without proper editing. Korean translator Handong Ryu, who worked on The Alters, confirmed similar issues in the Korean version, noting that some segments showed “clear signs” of AI processing that were not part of his submitted work.

In response, 11 Bit Studios has now issued a detailed statement across social media. The studio explained that the AI-generated text in the Command Center was intended as a temporary placeholder during development and was mistakenly left in due to internal miscommunication. They confirmed it has now been identified and will be removed in a coming patch.

As for the localization, the studio admitted to using generative AI for a few short video segments added very late in the game’s development. These videos — which feature characters watching TV in a social space — were translated using AI under tight deadlines. According to the studio, these translations amount to roughly 10,000 words out of The Alters’ 3.4 million-word script, or about 0.3% of the total content.

Still, the lack of disclosure has raised concerns, especially in light of Valve’s policy requiring developers to declare any use of AI-generated content on Steam — a rule that The Alters currently does not appear to comply with.

While the studio’s response has been met with mixed reactions, the majority of players on platforms like Twitter/X calling the issue “minor” or “overblown.” Others, particularly localization professionals, have been more critical, arguing that the inclusion of AI prompt artifacts without notice undermines industry standards and disrespects international audiences.

This isn’t the first recent controversy surrounding AI in game development. Just last week, Jurassic World Evolution 3 developers at Frontier Developments faced backlash over generative AI character portraits and ultimately removed them after community pushback. Activision, too, has come under scrutiny for AI-generated content in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, leading to revised transparency on its Steam page.

While 11 Bit Studios hasn't disclosed the AI usage on The Alters’ Steam page yet, it remains to be seen whether Valve will enforce its policy or rely, as it often does, on community reporting to flag violations.