pouët.net

AI tooling in the Demoscene

category: code [glöplog]
To stick to the topic, important questions for me would be:

Where to draw a line between tedious framework tasks and creative work?
How much do the technical intricacies behind a framework or tool inform the content that's being made with it?

As a creative, I appreciate transparency. As a non-coder, I need agreeable specificity as consensus. To be able to vote accordingly as a partygoer, and viewer.
added on the 2026-04-07 18:45:11 by rp rp
Regarding compos, i think the one and only thing you can do is writing something into the rules that says "We would appreciate human created content. If you use AI to generate assets and/or code, please be honest about it and tell us what was created this way, and how." Because "banning" it will just not work, at all.
added on the 2026-04-07 19:15:11 by groepaz groepaz
Quote:
Regarding compos, i think the one and only thing you can do is writing something into the rules that says "We would appreciate human created content. If you use AI to generate assets and/or code, please be honest about it and tell us what was created this way, and how." Because "banning" it will just not work, at all.

I like this a lot and it is a very probable outcome.
added on the 2026-04-07 19:31:33 by D.Fox D.Fox
What groepaz said
What groepaz said is pretty much exactly the potential compromise I had in mind.
I think that's probably OK for 256b, 4k, 4k gfx, 8k, 64k compos. For the other compos, especially music/graphics, I'm just not involved enough.

If you use AI (for content and/or tooling), tell us. Be honest. Let's all learn together how stuff is done. In case we figure out that you were dishonest about your AI use, you will be disqualified. Simple.

If there happens to be a demand for "pure manual only" competitions in the future, they will happen. But I'm not really seeing that demand currently.
added on the 2026-04-07 20:00:35 by las las
Quote:
Regarding compos, i think the one and only thing you can do is writing something into the rules that says "We would appreciate human created content. If you use AI to generate assets and/or code, please be honest about it and tell us what was created this way, and how." Because "banning" it will just not work, at all.


I'd welcome if this was mandatory slide information. Just like people also share when they made sth with cables, Tixl etcpp.
added on the 2026-04-07 20:02:14 by rp rp
Quote:
Quote:
Regarding compos, i think the one and only thing you can do is writing something into the rules that says "We would appreciate human created content. If you use AI to generate assets and/or code, please be honest about it and tell us what was created this way, and how." Because "banning" it will just not work, at all.


I'd welcome if this was mandatory slide information. Just like people also share when they made sth with cables, Tixl etcpp.

We did that last year but not very well :) we’re refining it as we go since the topic is also evolving.
added on the 2026-04-07 20:07:58 by D.Fox D.Fox
In my editor I had a lot of use of AI for what I found to be tedious things like splines, fast fourier transforms etc that I'm too stupid or too lazy to learn. I want to focus on the interaction and logic of the thing instead. More my cup of tea. It wasn't perfect off the bat of course but I got it working as fast or faster than if I'd copy someones version from "the internet" anyway. And it's basically the same thing in the end.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rD62BZD0AYU
(the slider with default snap is AI created too)

As for work, one thing I've used AI for is to create a pdf reader that you can set a scale on and then draw rectangles to get dimensions and areas from plans. I made that with AI in maybe two hours. Would have taken me at least the weekend just to get the pdf library right (which is half cheating anyway).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilGGvutQOCk

For play I made a program to randomize golf pairings in a tournament to both equalize hcp in team play but also split into groups where you play with as many people as possible.

Small tools like that is great to use with AI. Creative content for me is a bit meh, but if it can help me with theory I'm fine with it in my case since I need the help.

Just my 2c.
added on the 2026-04-07 20:30:28 by thec thec
BB Image

I know, "make a demo about it"
added on the 2026-04-07 20:41:06 by thec thec
If I would participate to compos, I probably wouldn't bother mentioning if I used some LLM for some tooling or if I've read some reference from one. It's not like some sort of stigma or tag that just stains your prod if you happened to see a single photon of LLM generated code while making it.


If I were to program something that actually uses the automatic optimization techniques, I definitely would shout that we use artificial intelligence.

Anyway the tools are here, best that you try to refrain from them yourselves and tell your friends & family that too. (especially those that you rent, instead of owning)
Tools aren't just means to an end. They shape the creative process.

One of my main takeaways from decades of toolmaking is that putting tools in the hands of users is matchmaking. Sometimes it just clicks: the tool fits the hands of the user perfectly, and magic happens.

Using AI for making tools does not take anything away from the creative process of creating the demo. On the contrary, it greatly shortens the path to unlocking the full creative potential of the tool users.

This effect will be even more pronounced for open source tools (which are getting more and more common). Not only is the tool available to everybody; any user can now ask an AI to add those personalized features which will make the tool fit their hands better.

I for one look forward to all the elevated expressions of human creativity that will come from this.
added on the 2026-04-07 21:42:48 by Blueberry Blueberry

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