Dungeons and Dragons Unveils Jaw-Dropping New Artwork to Make History

Highlights

Dungeons and Dragons has replaced AI-generated art in response to controversy, with new illustrations by Linda Lithen and other artists.

The new artwork for Bigby Presents: Glory of Giants showcases extraordinary attention to detail that surpasses the original pieces generated by AI. Wizards of the Coast has gained the trust and appreciation of both artists and fans by fulfilling their commitment to eliminate AI art and instead collaborate with human artists for illustrations.

New images have been unveiled by an illustrator for Dungeons and Dragons, replacing AI art in Bigby Presents: Glory of Giants. The controversial use of AI to create illustrations for the recent sourcebook led to the creation of this new Dungeons and Dragons art. The sourcebook, released on August 15, showcased artwork for creatures in the monster manual. However, players discovered that the artwork, by long-time illustrator Ilya Shkipin, was created using AI. Shkipin's confirmation of this prompted Wizards of the Coast to take a stand against AI artwork, promising to replace the contentious pieces with commissioned art in future products.

Dungeons and Dragons is now unveiling the new artwork that will replace Shkipin's work in future printings of Bigby Presents: Glory of Giants. Linda Lithen, a freelance illustrator known for her contributions to Dungeons and Dragons books such as Shadow of the Dragon Queen and Call of the Netherdeep, as well as Critical Role's Taldorei Reborn third-party D&D supplement, recently shared these images on her personal Twitter. Her illustrations of the Frost Giant Ice Shaper and Rime Hulk, two monsters previously created via AI by Shkipin, are incredibly impressive and surpass the original artwork in terms of detail.

Additionally, other monsters from Bigby Presents: Glory of Giants, including the Maw of Yeenoghu, Altisaur, and Stalker of Baphomet, have also undergone a replacement process. The AI-generated works by Shkipin have been removed and replaced with illustrations created by various other talented artists. While the original prints of Bigby Presents: Glory of Giants will still feature AI art, all future publications will showcase these new illustrations instead.

Fans are elated to see Wizards of the Coast staying true to their promises and taking a firm stand. Although AI-generated artwork may initially appear impressive, the consensus is that comparing Shkipin's creations to their replacements is like comparing night and day. AI art has faced significant backlash from creators in various industries, including renowned figures like George R. R. Martin, who even filed a lawsuit against the creators of ChatGPT for copyright infringement. It appears that Wizards of the Coast genuinely had no knowledge of the use of AI art in the original illustrations, and their efforts to rectify the mistake have gained them approval from both artists and fans.

The latest installment of Dungeons and Dragons is now available.