A Call of Duty player posted a macabre, grim set of AI-generated art featuring what SpongeBob SquarePants would look like if he were a solider in Activision's FPS franchise. The images were posted on Reddit, which caught the attention, upvotes, and comments of many users on the Call of Duty subreddit.
SpongeBob SquarePants, arguably one of the most iconic Nickelodeon characters of all time, first hit the small screen in May 1999. The show was renewed for a 14th season earlier this year, with multiple film projects currently in the works from parent company Paramount. Just over four years after the start of SpongeBob, the first, eponymous Call of Duty game came out on PC in October 2003. The newest entry in the series, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, was released just over a month ago. Though each respective series has next to nothing in common with one another, there is a surprising overlap in the audiences that have watched the former and played the latter over the span of two decades.
A Reddit user by the name of bonemech_meatsuit posted a set of four different AI-generated images that featured SpongeBob in military fatigues. Each image featured a different weapon in his arms, with different expressions on his face to tell the maddening, macabre horrors of modern warfare. The expressions ranged from plainly-written fear to insane laughter on SpongeBob's face. The post received over 1600 upvotes in just over a day. In the comments, bonemech_meatsuit stated they used an AI called "Midjourney" to generate the images. The comments also complimented how accurately the AI made SpongeBob's hands and some compared the scenes to those depicted in classic war films such as Saving Private Ryan and Full Metal Jacket .
While AI-generated art remains a touchy subject in the eyes of artists, some of the imagery it can generate can make for some creative concepts. This can extend to showing what other video game characters would look like in styles made famous in other series, such as Red Dead Redemption 2's Arthur Morgan in the concept art style of Metal Gear Solid, and make it seem as if it were drawn by the original artists. Though the ethics and commercial practices surrounding AI-generated art remain controversial, the technology will continue to evolve as time goes on.
In terms of AI having more practical uses in gameplay, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has had its fair share of hiccups. From funny glitches that feature flying AI opponents in Modern Warfare 2 to bugs that can make unfortunate victims of players, there has been no shortage of AI-related issues for Activision and Infinity Ward to take on. Suffice it to say, AI as a general concept is not leaving the spotlight anytime soon, for good or for bad.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.