The Mario Kart AI ‘scandal’ shows we still don’t know how to talk about generative art

Best Nintendo Switch 2 games; Mario in a kart driving out of Switch 2 console
(Image credit: Nintendo)

When screenshots from Mario Kart World began circulating online – complete with strange visual artefacts like warped billboards, broken kerning, and odd texture choices – many assumed the same thing: this must be AI-generated.

Commenters called it out within hours. Accusations flew across social media. Generative AI, they said, had crept into Nintendo’s workflow. And while that assumption proved false (Nintendo publicly denied using any AI-generated imagery), the controversy didn’t fade quickly.

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

CEO and founder of Manchester-based game art and dev studio, Airship Interactive) would have some thoughts on it. He’s quite subjective on the topic of AI and thinks the industry needs to embrace as much as question the integrity of it.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.