Yesterday, Sega celebrated Sonic the Hedgehog's 35th birthday with an hour-long livestream. The event revealed several new Sonic games and updates to the existing Sonic Frontiers Definitive Edition, Sonic and Sonic 2 Sega Genesis Cartridges, and Sonic Classic and Modern Collections.
The company also revealed Sonic Chaos Hunt, part game, part real-world competition in which players must find “chaos emeralds that are unstable and scattered across America.” While a fun idea with attractive prizes, the game quickly came under fire for its terms and conditions, which suggested that player data would be used to train AI for both Sega and third-party companies.
Sonic Chaos Hunt comes under fire for wild AI training terms and conditions
Terms and conditions often favor developers, allowing them to use the information they collect for their own good. Due to the massive mistrust against AI, though, Sonic Chaos hunts are pretty serious.
“By using our Services, you acknowledge and consent to the collection, use, and processing of your information, content, and communications ('User Data') for the improvement, development, and training of our Artificial Intelligence (AI) models and tools and to provide our Services to you,” T's&C's was first shown by Bluesky user Luna Leo.
It adds “Your user data may be used to train and enhance our proprietary AI models,” and “You acknowledge and agree that once integrated with these third-party AI models, your user data (including any data derived therefrom) will continue to be used, analyzed, and enhanced by both us, and our third-party continued product purposes, to improve third-party products.”
Your user data may be used, analyzed and enhanced by both us and our third-party providers.
Those who find the Emeralds will have a chance to win “exclusive sonic prizes,” including “the ultimate VIP Club Chaos experience,” which includes flights, accommodations and tickets to the club's grand opening in NYC. However these AI-centric terms and conditions may prevent humans from entering.
AI has become an incredibly controversial issue in video games over the past 12 months. Just last week, Square Enix came under fire for showing the use of AI in its Kingdom Hearts Collection cover art, later changing it, and Near: Automata creator Yoko Taro said that young developers “face a fight for their remaining jobs as AI takes them over.” These are just two of the controversies that the incredibly unpopular AI has faced in the past year.
- issued
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June 23, 1991
- ESRB
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e
- developer(s)
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Sonic Team
- Engine
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Hedgehog engine
