Esports casters respond to AI commentator bot on social media: “Truly depressing”
Michal Konkol/Riot GamesAI has come to the esports space as a social media account that works with AI posted a video using the tool to create commentary over a League of Legends match.
Esports commentators and fans alike were caught by surprise when an X account posted a video using the newest version of AI tools from OpenAI to create commentary over a League of Legends match.
The AI caster commentated the T1 vs. LNG Esports League of Legends Worlds 2023 match and described the state of the match along with gameplay concepts like vision.
The reaction from the esports community has mostly been negative or apathetic. Esports and gaming fans have been dubious of buzzword technological advances like crypto, NFTs, and AI, and this instance seems no different.
Most fans described the AI caster as lacking emotion and energy, and called the bot “opposite of human.”
Casters decry casting bot posted to social media
Esports casters, who seem to be the next victim of AI taking over their jobs, were not fans of the new bot’s implication either.
It's truly depressing how there's so much AI development focused on replacing things that bring joy in life.
— Isaac CB (@AzaelOfficial) November 8, 2023
Artists, Musicians, Actors, VO, Casting etc – it's the polar opposite of Sci Fi futures where AI let humans focus on art & passion projects since it handled the drudgery. https://t.co/EM2GDrby0s
“It’s truly depressing how there’s so much AI development focused on replacing things that bring joy in life,” League of Legends caster Isaac ‘Azael’ Cummings-Bentley said on social media.
One of the most tenured casters in esports, Mitch ‘Ubershouts’ Leslie, took the opportunity to joke about the dire state of the industry in response to the bot.
Ayo casters y’all thought a 60% salary correction was the least of your concerns? 😂 https://t.co/3kjzFilrF9
— Mitch Leslie (@UberShouts) November 8, 2023
“Ayo casters y’all thought a 60% salary correction was the least of your concerns?” he said.
Call of Duty, Halo, and Rocket League caster Sean ‘Spaceman’ Rogers called AI in general imitation at best, and theft at worst.
AI is the opposite of human, it is devoid of art. It’s not creativity it’s imitation at best and at worst it’s theft. This is not an attack on the guy who made it, this is very much an attack on the idea of AI replacing art.
— Sean Rogers (@SpacemanSR) November 8, 2023
Throw it in the trash where it belongs https://t.co/0T5p4yjwHr
“Throw it in the trash where it belongs,” Rogers wrote.
There does not seem to be any fear for commentators at the moment, as the bot doesn’t appear to be up to the task of replacing them anytime soon.
Whether an esports tournament organizer will take advantage of the bot and pour the resources into creating an AI commentator has yet to be seen.