Dungeons & Dragons Replaces Over a Dozen AI-Enhanced Images From Recent Rulebook

Thirteen pieces of artwork from a recently published Dungeons & Dragons rulebook were replaced last week with new pieces after the original artist admitted to using AI tools on the artwork. Last week, Wizards of the Coast quietly replaced 13 images from Bigby’s Presents: Glory of the Giants on its D&D Beyond digital compendium. The original pieces of artwork, all of which were produced by Ilya Shkipin, were pulled down by Wizards in August after Shkipin admitted to using AI tools to “enhance” the art on the pieces. A flip-through of a hardcover version of the book originally provided to ComicBook.com by Wizards of the Coast indicated that no other pieces from the original book was replaced on D&D Beyond. 

ComicBook.com reached out to Wizards to confirm that no other pieces of art besides the thirteen Shkipin pieces were replaced. Wizards confirmed in a statement that the pieces were replaced due to the use of AI and referred to a Community Update posted in September for more information.

After discovering the use of AI on the artwork back in August, Wizards of the Coast said they were updating their artist guidelines as a result of the controversy, with explicit instructions not to use AI art generation tools. Additionally, Wizards conducted an audit of every art piece commissioned for their other announced works (including Glory of the Giants and Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk) and said that no other AI art usage was found. 

The new pieces of artwork will be used in future printings of Bigby’s Presents: Glory of the Giants. It is noted that the AI-enhanced artwork will have a lasting legacy, as WizKids has produced miniatures based on the AI-enhanced artwork found in the book.

Upcoming Dungeons & Dragons Releases

Wizards of the Coast is in the middle of a four month stretch of releases for Dungeons & Dragons, starting with Bigby’s Presents: Glory of the Giants back in August. This month, Wizards released Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk, a new adventure that expands upon the original Starter Set adventure released back in 2014 and is the reason for Lost Mine of Phandelver’s getting “pulled” from D&D Beyond.  In October, Dungeons & Dragons will release Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse, a three book set focused on the Planescape setting. That will be followed up in November by The Book of Many Things, a rulebook that expands on the lore surrounding the magical Deck of Many Things.