The curious case of retro demo scene graphics
March 30, 2026
OSnews
Of course, it was only a matter of time before the time-honoured tradition of the demoscene also got infected by “AI”. For me personally, generative AI ruins much of the fun. I still enjoy creating pixel art and making little animations and demos. My own creative process remains satisfying as an isolated activity. Alas, obvious AI generated imagery – as well as middle-aged men plagiarizing other, sometimes much younger, hobbyist artists – makes me feel disappointed and empty.
It’s not as much about effort as it is about the loss of style and personality; soul, if you will. The result is defacement, to echo T. S. Eliot, rather than inspired improvement. Even in more elaborate AI-based works, it’s hard to tell where the prompt ends and the pixelling begins. Carl Svensson A wonderful explanation of the rather unique views on originality, stealing, plagiarism, and related topics within the demoscene, which certainly diverge from many other places.
OSnews
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