Balatro’s Creator Bans AI Art, Claims It Harms Artists!

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Summary

  • Balatro creator LocalThunk clarified his opposition to AI, stating that it harms artists.
  • Neither Playstack nor LocalThunk will permit AI-generated images on the official Balatro subreddit.

In a recent conversation on a subreddit, the maker of Balatro, known as LocalThunk, expressed his views on AI. He voiced his opposition to it due to the potential damage it can inflict on artists across various fields. The discussion about AI has been a significant point of contention within the video game industry, and now, even the audience and developer of the poker-themed indie game, Balatro, have entered the debate.

Balatro is a game created by solo developer LocalThunk, who spent over four years building it from scratch. Balatro is a passion project that required an immense amount of work—work that, as LocalThunk admitted, was initially just meant for his family and friends but unexpectedly turned into a major success. LocalThunk didn’t implement any AI in the game and created everything entirely by hand without any assistance from AI. With the discussion surrounding AI growing more heated online—especially amid the ongoing SAG-AFTRA actors’ strike—several figures in the industry have spoken out about AI’s use in gaming and its impact on artists. Now, it was LocalThunk’s turn to clarify his personal stance on the technology, along with that of publisher Playstack.

Following a discussion on a subreddit, LocalThunk was explicit about his position regarding AI, stating that he does not condone it because it harms artists of all kinds. As a result, neither he nor Playstack will allow AI-generated images on the Balatro‘s subreddit. As documented by RPS, LocalThunk was prompted to clarify this due to a misunderstanding involving a moderator who incorrectly claimed that Playstack supposedly had no issue with AI after a user posted an AI-generated image. This misstatement sparked some backlash against Playstack and the popular Balatro.

Balatro Creator Says AI ‘Does Real Harm to Artists of All Kinds’

After noticing the situation, LocalThunk first addressed his stance on Twitter, clarifying that the moderator’s statement “doesn’t represent my beliefs.” He then took to Reddit to further elaborate on his position. Balatro’s indie game creator proceeded to ban the moderator who had made those claims about AI and informed the community that AI-generated content would be forbidden on Balatro’s subreddit moving forward. “Neither Playstack nor I condone AI ‘art’,” was LocalThunk’s conclusion on the matter.

As industry professionals continue to speak out about AI, the SAG-AFTRA actors’ strike remains unresolved after a new proposal failed to satisfy the union. Reports indicate that the proposal contained “alarming loopholes” that could significantly harm artists’ work while leaving them vulnerable to AI abuse. While many artists continue to push back against AI, it remains to be seen how this technology will eventually be regulated.

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2025-03-17 16:01