Update 25 June 2024: The Pokémon Company International has today issued a statement on the AI controversy within the contest.
"We are aware that select entrants from the top 300 finalists of the Pokémon TCG Illustration Contest 2024 have violated the official contest rules. As a result, entrants in violation of the rules have been disqualified from the contest. Furthermore, additional artists participating in the contest will soon be selected to be among the top 300 finalists. We're committed to upholding the integrity of the Pokémon TCG Illustration Contest and appreciate fans’ continued support as we celebrate the artistic abilities of the talented Pokémon community.”
Original story 19 June: The Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) company has come under fire on X recently, with users speculating that it may have selected AI-generated entries for its 2024 Pokémon card illustration contest. Artists are calling for answers and demanding that several of the top 300 quarter-finalists' entries be disqualified.
The illustration contest seeks to reward talented artists and Pokémon fans not only with a grand prize, but the bragging rights of having your winning design made into an official Pokémon promo card. This explains why so many artists are understandably enraged and upset by alleged AI entries slipping through the cracks and making it to the final selection, given that there's a lot on the line for "real" artists to benefit from.
Pokémon is a hugely popular franchise dating back to the 90s, with games released on some of the best retro game consoles, and Pokémon cards especially are a pop culture staple for many. So it's surprising that this AI infiltration has managed to happen at all. The selection of Tweets below are just a handful of examples where artists are calling for the Pokémon TCG company to start disqualifying entries.
It's a mystery as to whether the Pokémon TCG company has any detection tools or filtering in place to fish out AI-generated illustrations, especially with the likely occurrence of the competition being a target for those who falsely enter AI artwork into legitimate competitions. We've seen this dishonesty happen before with photography contests, as well as an AI competition where a "real" image won.
Is it that hard to tell if something is AI-generated? Users on X don't seem to think so, with many having already identified the potential culprits exuding the "AI stank" (some of whom have also allegedly broken the three-entry limit rule as well).
But not all of those accused are guilty. Unfortunately, false accusations have been made against several artists who now have the tough task of proving that their very real art is not in fact AI-generated.
The Pokémon TCG is one of the best-selling and most popular trading card games in the world, with iconic branding and artistic designs. Many fans (like me) appreciate the rarity and collectibility of Pokémon cards more so than using them for friendly battles or tournaments. (If you want to nerd out about rare cards, see the limited edition Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat card that I got from the Pokémon X Vincent Van Gogh collab in Amsterdam).
The judging panel for the contest comprises notable industry figures such as Tsunekazu Ishihara, President of The Pokémon Company, Kenji Okubo, President of The Pokémon Company International, and Yuji Kitano, President of Creatures, Inc. To name just a few.
Surely Pokémon TCG would not want an AI-generated Pokémon card to become an official branded promo card? It's very hard to believe that the company would knowingly "allow" this as some tweets have suggested.
For a bit of background, The Pokémon Trading Card Game Illustration contest kicked off in Japan with a Grand Prix in 2019, followed by another the following year, and then submissions from both Japan as well as the United States were accepted for the first time in 2021 onwards. Submissions are now accepted from countries including Japan, the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
The theme for this year's contest was "Magical Pokémon Moments", which received 10,830 entries. Submissions have been closed since January, but if you're interested in participating next year then get sketching now with one of the best drawing tablets, and have your unique design ideas ready by October, when entries should reopen and the next theme revealed.
You can take a look through the gallery of the top 300 entries for the 2024 competition via the Pokémon Trading Card Game Illustration contest website, and gather some inspiration to create your own Pokémon-themed artworks or early submissions for the next 2025 contest.
