The contest attracted thousands of entrants who submitted fan art of their favourite Pokémon, with the winner set to receive $5000 and have their illustration printed as an official Pokémon card.

Figure 1. Pokémon TCG Disqualifies Finalists Over Alleged AI Use.

After the top 300 cards were published, fans quickly noticed that several entries appeared to be created with generative AI, which is strictly prohibited according to the competition’s rules. The Pokémon Company has issued a statement on X, confirming that certain entrants from the top 300 finalists of the Pokémon TCG Illustration Contest 2024 have violated the official contest rules and have been disqualified. Figure 1 shows Pokémon TCG disqualifies finalists over alleged ai use.[1]

Though not explicitly stated, the disqualification follows numerous fan reports of alleged AI use. The Pokémon Company also announced that to maintain the top 300, additional artists will be selected to fill the disqualified spots.[2]

While AI use is the primary suspected reason for the disqualification, it has also been suggested that some participants submitted multiple entries under slightly different names, which is also against the rules and may have contributed to their disqualification.

Reference:

1. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/pokemon-disqualifies-tcg-illustration-contest-finalists-over-alleged-ai-use/
2. https://www.techopedia.com/news/pokemon-tcg-disqualifies-finalists-over-alleged-ai-use

Cite this article:

Gokila G (2024), Pokémon TCG Disqualifies Finalists Over Alleged AI Use, AnaTechMaz, pp. 28