Prolific fighting game player SonicFox has canceled their appearance at the upcoming Nexcon convention in Norman, Oklahoma, after organizers used AI to generate a promotional poster featuring the player's mascot character.
SonicFox, a celebrated multi-game champion in the fighting game community, was scheduled to be a special guest at Nexcon, which is set to take place on November 14-15. However, the player announced their withdrawal on October 20, following the emergence of the AI-generated poster on social media.
"Not sure who’s in charge of Nexcon but I absolutely refuse to have my likeness be AI generated and my interest in attending as a special guest has dropped to 0. Incredibly disrespectful," SonicFox stated in response to a fan's post about the artwork. Much of SonicFox's distinctive artwork is created by members of the furry community, and using such art to train generative AI without consent is often viewed as a form of appropriation.
Members of the fighting game community rallied in support of SonicFox's stance, with many deeming the use of AI to promote an event that celebrates creators and artists as particularly egregious. The following day, SonicFox confirmed their cancellation via a brief social media post, stating they are "no longer attending."
All references to SonicFox have since been removed from the Nexcon website. The player's decision has been met with widespread approval from fans, many of whom have lauded them for "standing on business."