Netflix removed an Arcane season 2 poster made via AI and Riot Games has swiftly responded: “It’s disrespectful to the incredible artists who worked on the show”

Netflix have removed what appears to be an AI-generated poster for Arcane season 2 after it was called out by a viewer – and one Riot Games employee has responded in no uncertain terms that it’s “disrespectful” to those who have worked on the show.

The poster, which you can see below, was first spotted by a Twitter user who had paused the show on Netflix and noticed that Vi’s hand was anatomically incorrect – a typical indicator that AI was involved in the process.

After a separate Twitter user called it out for being “disappointing and disrespectful”, Arcane brand lead Alex Shahmiri replied, “Appreciate you bringing this to our attention. We have a strict stance of no AI for anything relating to Arcane cause it’s disrespectful to the incredible artists who worked on the show. This image was a mistake and has since been removed. [Thank you] again for calling it out.”

Another, meanwhile, took umbrage at Shahmiri focusing only on Arcane’s non-AI policy, pointing to whether it applied to other Riot Games properties such as Valorant and League of Legends.

In response, Shahmiri said, “I can only speak to what I work on. From a purely personal level, I’m not a fan of AI because what makes art so special is the human connection and feeling. Be it through art, music, or any creative medium – it’s something I never want to see replaced by AI.”

It’s especially disappointing, too, because animation studio Fortiche has already delivered the goods on Arcane season 2 – including an incredible scene made entirely out of charcoal.

Ahead of its finale, check out our verdict so far in the Arcane season 2 review, then dive into our interview with co-creator Christian Linke on his hours-long struggle attempting to crack the Netflix series’ final line.

For more, check out our picks for the best shows on Netflix to watch after Arcane has aired.