TL;DR
The Yarn Spinner team says their project and workflow do not use current AI technologies: no generative features, no code-generation tools, and no acceptance of known AI-generated contributions. They cite concerns that the companies behind mainstream AI are building tools that harm workers and prefer not to support or normalize those practices.
What happened
Yarn Spinner published a statement clarifying that they do not incorporate the technologies commonly labeled as AI into their product or development process. The team, which has a background in machine learning research, talks, and authored books on ML techniques for games, says early enthusiasm for neural nets and tools like TensorFlow shifted as commercial offerings focused on generative imagery and chat-style automation. By late 2020 they judged that the dominant industry direction prioritized tools that displace workers or intensify workloads rather than serve developers sustainably. As a result they will not add generative AI features to Yarn Spinner, will not use code-generation tools to build it, and will reject contributions they know contain generated material. They also state they won’t ban users who choose to use AI elsewhere, and say they may reconsider ML in the future if underlying harms are addressed.
Why it matters
- The team frames current commercial AI practices as having direct labour impacts: tools that can lead to layoffs or increased unpaid work.
- Yarn Spinner’s position affects how a development tool is designed and what features will or won’t be offered to game creators.
- Refusing to adopt mainstream AI can influence norm-setting: not normalizing tools may limit the ecosystem’s reliance on them.
- The stance highlights a broader debate about ethics, funding, and who benefits from AI-driven workflows in creative industries.
Key facts
- Yarn Spinner does not include generative AI features in its product.
- The team does not use code-generation tools to develop Yarn Spinner.
- Contributions known to contain AI-generated material are not accepted.
- Authors and maintainers have prior experience with machine learning research, talks, and books about ML in games.
- They cite a shift around the end of 2020 when commercial AI emphasized generative imagery and chatbots.
- Primary stated motivation: mainstream AI tools are being used to fire people or demand more work without hiring.
- Yarn Spinner will not ban users who use AI externally, but they discourage supporting the companies behind those tools.
- The team remains open to revisiting machine learning if the industry’s harmful practices are resolved.
What to watch next
- Whether major AI vendors change practices that the team identifies as leading to layoffs or deskilling in creative work.
- If Yarn Spinner publicly revisits or experiments with ML techniques after industry labour and ethical concerns are addressed.
- Community uptake, pressure, or pushback around Yarn Spinner’s stance and how that affects adoption: not confirmed in the source
Quick glossary
- AI (Artificial Intelligence): An umbrella term for systems that perform tasks that typically require human intelligence; usage and meanings vary across contexts.
- Generative AI: Models and tools that produce new content such as images, text, or code based on learned patterns from training data.
- Machine Learning (ML): A subset of AI in which systems learn patterns from data to make predictions or generate outputs without being explicitly programmed for each task.
- Code generation: Automated production of source code by tools or models, often driven by prompts or examples rather than manual authoring.
Reader FAQ
Why focus on layoffs as the main concern?
The team says labour displacement from commercial AI is an immediate, visible harm they can argue clearly; they acknowledge other issues exist but chose to emphasize this point first.
Could you build your own ethical ML tools instead?
They respond that while technically possible, building and maintaining bespoke ML tooling is time-consuming and risks normalising techniques that would still push others to support problematic vendors.
Will Yarn Spinner ban users who use AI elsewhere?
No — they will not ban users, though they discourage using tools that support companies they consider harmful.
Are you opposed to AI in principle?
No — they say they value ML’s potential but object to the behaviour and priorities of current commercial AI providers.
We get asked about AI a lot. Whether we’re going to add it to Yarn Spinner, whether we use it ourselves, what we think about it. Fair questions. Time to…
Sources
- We Don't Use AI
- How The Ancient Art Of Spinning Can Help Your AI …
- Where's the shovelware? Why AI coding claims don't add up
- Spinner and Yarn home
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