On this episode of The Gaming Gang Dispatch, Jeff discusses the various ways AI has become a blight on the tabletop roleplaying game industry. Plus the latest TTRPG news from Cubicle 7 Games, Monte Cook Games, Spear Witch, Slightly Reckless Games, The Other Side Publishing, Bundle of Holding, and more. Streamed live Thursday May 14th, 2026.
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0:00 Introduction
4:32 Tabletop roleplaying game news of the day
25:00 Random musings and a brief intermission
39:11 Why AI is a blight on the hobby
1:32:47 Wrapping up
#TTRPGs #JeffMcAleer #TheGamingGang
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I think we need to draw a line to differentiate between AI used to generate print or game content versus AI used to write code, foundry modules or used as a GM to to help run an adventure
There are so many small creators that have said they could not recreate their success with OneBookshelf sites because they could not compete with the slop. Many 5e creators have left OneBookshelf to use their own stores and kickstarter now. The only real hold is DungeonMastersGuild because of the IP restrictions.
So tired of the AI slop pushing everything else to the edges.
I've seen people defend using Generative AI images with "what would you prefer, something hand-drawn?" and I always respond "yes! I would have some respect for you if you had scribbled something by hand!"
if a human didn't make it, why should I, a human, consume it?
One Bookshelf should at least add a filter for AI usage so that you can at least find the human created stuff amongst the avalanche of slop.
I put a "no generative AI" statement in my contact-me thingy on my blog AND I make sure to mention that I don't review product that uses it, but I still have people who try to send me stuff that uses AI. That says a lot about how much those people care generally, and how much of a crap I should give about them.
I'm not against real AI, though I do think it needs to be treated like nuclear. Potentially great, but potentially apocalyptic. It must be respected and carefully handled. However, "generative AI" is basically just a glorified spell checker that has basically reached its pinnacle, and its pinnacle turns out to be shit.
I deal with tourists on a message board, and there's a constant stream of folks who say, "I used AI to plan my vacation," followed by an itinerary that is completely unworkable, often containing places that don't exist, or haven't existed in a decade. A human (like someone on said message board) could have taken 30 seconds to produce a less useless itinerary.
Agreed on your take about creators who claim they can't produce a game if they can't use generative AI. Sorry. I don't want to hear it. It's like businesses that claim they can't afford to pay their employees a living wage and stay open. Well, sorry. You clearly can't run your business well enough to stay open. Like, if I can't afford to make dinner tonight, am I allowed to break into my neighbor's house and take their food? Or, do I have to find another way (food bank or what have you). If you want artwork, there's a ton of free stuff out there that isn't stealing. I mean jeez, just look at Dyson Logos's free to use maps.
I would love to see a new banner for new creators that is exclusively human created.
Wasn't able to watch this live. I was at a 3-hour Planning and Zoning meeting to prevent an AI datacenter being built within a mile of my house. My statements helped get the request denied in a 5-4 vote.
I work with AI (as a career)… and its a blight.
Here’s an idea for someone with some funding and internet know how… create an alternative to these DriveThru sites that is anti-AI. I’d jump ship in a heartbeat.
Just don’t code your new site using AI. (Blecch!)
I will 100% pay more for something I know is not touched by AI. And I get the convenience of DriveThruRPG but I have seen a number of publishers use Etsy as a storefront and I am leaning that way as well (assuming Etsy takes a stand against AI as well).
As a “techie”, I think AI has its uses but replacing humans while stealing from other humans is NOT ethical and should be frowned upon if not illegal.
So a disabled creator, should not use AI, to play the game and overcome their disabilities? Let's tell all disabled people they don't get to benefit from AI? (STFU!)
AI isn't as big of a blight as all the political BS that's been forced into our hobby over the last ten years, and all this "OH NO THE SKY IS FALLING DOWN" because of AI is a part of it.
You doing this video just makes you a cog in the wheel of the morality police and you are just wanting to get your name into the conversation.
You will get your social score brownie points here but that's all this is.
Like everyone else who is jumping on the bandwagon, you're missing the point of AI in the hobby.
It puts a spotlight on all the flaky, no good, money stealing artists that don't do the work and flake out on people that hire them.
It puts a spotlight on the real artists that do the professional work and those who deserve to get really paid for good work.
AI is no threat to real artists. It's only a "threat" to the flakes of the hobby who do crap work.
We went through this when digital cameras first came out. And we went through this same ignorance when computer artist digital tablets came out. And now you are repeating history, again, about this.
The three D&D channels I have seen people talk about quitting this last couple of weeks are not actually quitting. One is changing from one sort of RPG videos to another. The second is dropping long form content for shorts. His income is primarily from writing and selling RPG materials. The way he put it in his video, he can spend five hours for one week of material (long-form videos), or three hours on two weeks (shorts) and get a similar amount of sales. Plus, he has the back catalog and may do the occasional long. The third ran a successful kickstarter. He is stepping away from making videos for a few months to focus on the kickstarter to get it out on time. He plans on returning to making videos after that work is done. For the most part, it seems to have been people creating drama about something that is not happening.
The one before those three that people focused on was earlier this year. He had not put anything out for a few years and did not have the same number of views after a couple videos of coming back. He was the only person I have seen claim to have talked to someone from Youtube (at their headquarters no less). He started a new channel for a different fandom stating he was not making any more RPG material. He has since returned to making RPG material on his old channel.
RE Howard's writings definitely are in the public domain, but companies are using trademark law to try to maintain control of them and many other similar works. It should be stopped and I for one will not buy any product which pays a license to such companies.
@22:00 Nazareth – Hair of the Dog
I've never heard Jeff curse this much; you can tell he is passionate about this topic. I couldn't agree more; I will never buy a game that I know was published using AI. I would take it a step further; due to damage that AI is wreaking on our environment and economy, I am against AI use in almost any application, including personal use.
My favorite retort to "It's just a tool!":
"*You're* just a tool!"
I agree with everything you've said here. Thank you for voicing this.
It depends. I've found ai helpful in a few ways such as creating visuals for handouts and some success in maps (but spotty record there) for homebrew personal game. It's marginally helpful in brainstorming some specific things like how to drop clues for players but it often generates lousy ideas, you have to prompt it for several options. So some utility but not much tbh. And not useful for professional products. In terms of art there's lots of stuff in creative commons, public domain.