The Pokémon Company has disqualified several entrants from its Pokémon TCG Illustration Contest 2024, allegedly due to the use of AI in their work submissions.
Pokémon TCG Disqualifies Illustration Contest Finalists Over Rule Violation
Will Choose More Entrants to Fill Out Vacated Spots
In a statement on Twitter (X) posted today, Pokémon announced that select entrants from the top 300 finalists of the Pokémon TCG Illustration Contest had violated the official contest rules and were consequently disqualified. Although the statement did not explicitly mention AI-generated content, the announcement follows numerous fan allegations on social media regarding the use of AI in submissions.
The Pokémon Company stated it would select additional artists to fill the vacated spots and round out the top 300 finalists, additionally emphasizing its commitment to celebrating "the artistic abilities of the talented Pokémon community. "
This controversy comes amid widespread scrutiny within the TCG community, where many have documented probable AI-generated submissions online.
Beyond AI concerns, there are also allegations that participants submit more than three entries under different names, another probable violation of the contest rules that may have contributed to the disqualifications.
The Pokémon TCG Illustration Contest originated in Japan in 2019. The contest expanded to include participants from across the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Winning illustrations are then used in official promotional cards.
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