On the social media platform X, Nexon has issued an official statement after gaming netizens uncovered the use of seemingly AI-influenced advertisements for its third-person Unreal 5 shooter, The First Descendant. In recent days, posts documenting the strange and noticeably AI-influenced advertisements posted from The First Descendant TikTok account surfaced on platforms like Reddit, prompting Nexon’s response.
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In its X statement, Nexon said they are launching an investigation into “certain irregularities” and apologized for the delay in speaking publicly on the matter.
“All submitted videos are verified through TikTok’s system to check copyright violations before they are approved as advertising content,” said The First Descendent X account. “However, we have become aware of cases where the circumstances surrounding the production of certain submitted videos appear inappropriate. Thus, we are conducting a thorough joint investigation with TikTok to determine the facts.”
According to Nexon, they had already started an internal review of the “inappropriate” videos and promised to release an update on the investigation through an official notice.
One post in r/TheFirstDescendant compiled multiple examples of apparently AI-influenced ads for the game. Many of them featured potentially AI-generated people speaking in monotone voices and appearing to be unsure of where to look for the camera. One example had the lip-sync for the audio entirely off and featured the seeming likeness of TikToker DanieltheDemon, who has since come out to deny permitting the advertisement.
“I have no affiliation nor contract with The First Descendant,” wrote DanieltheDemon in a TikTok comment. “They stole my face/reactions from my most viral video and used AI to change what my mouth says and a voice that isn’t mine. I did not consent for my likeness to be used.”
But just how could these ads have been approved when there is something so obviously wrong with them? While the Nexon statement doesn’t make things entirely clear, what they are likely suggesting is that they trusted TikTok’s system for final publication, not realizing the potential that the program could have allowed this type of content.
Nexon’s response to the controversy appears to suggest that the use of likeness and AI was unintentional, resulting from its outsourcing these adverts to the TikTok Creative Challenge program. Evidence of this viewpoint is that these particular ads were only posted to TikTok and not on its other platforms. However, The First Descendant players will need to wait for the joint investigation to finish for a final conclusion.
According to the TikTok website, the Creative Challenge Program, introduced in 2023, allows users to turn their “creativity into cash” by submitting UGC-style ads for brands, earning a commission based on the revenue their work creates. While creators have appreciated the extra avenue to earn money on the platform, it will be interesting to see if changes are made to it following this particular case of potential abuse.
In June, TikTok announced on its website that it was introducing new features to Symphony, its advanced AI ad platform suite, to help users leverage generative AI for content creation, AI avatars, and advertising optimization. Even if the apparent issue with the Creative Challenge program is resolved, it seems that AI-powered advertisements are something that will soon be on TikTok’s horizon, regardless.
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