As a writer with a lot of artist friends - I don't like supporting AI art just to support your writing and development. It fundamentally is built off of stolen data from unpaid artists, and then deprives them of that work.

The normalization of AI art steals not only past work from artists, but future work opportunities.

As a fellow solo developer AI is an invaluable tool. Without it I wouldn’t be able to make a game at all. I’m not going to get in the debate of AI art vs traditional art - except to touch on how any computer generated art was initially considered in much the same light and now many traditional artists make use of computers in some way as part of their work as a matter of course and CG graphics are big business from VFX to AAA video games. 

There is a skill and a craft to creating AI art. True, a lot of the time you can pump any old nonsense in and you might get some good images out of it. But the best stuff, in my opinion, is crafted with a specific character in mind and time spent refining your prompt until you get it right. If I look back on the art I made when first starting out vs now there’s a world of difference. 

If one is releasing a game for donations - or a token amount such as you are - then I see no reason why not to use AI assets. Personally, I don’t have a problem with full cost games using AI - it’s baked into engines like UE5 after all (though I appreciate that is a somewhat different usage it’s still AI). At some point AI will become unavoidable if it hasn’t already. Embrace change, embrace the future. 

That being said, to provide balance, there is quite equally value in using traditional art as well and I have a great respect and no small amount of jealousy for those that posses the skills and natural talents to create the kind of art that until now I could only imagine. 

Let’s give that last statement a little more context. I have dyspraxia- I can practice and practice all I like (and believe me I’ve tried) - I lack the control necessary to produce much more than a glorified stick man. 

To cut to the chase - at the end of the day it’s your game. It’s your vision. Do what feels right for you. Whatever you decide, there will always be people that disagree, that won’t like what you’re doing. And that’s ok. We are all free to make our own choices. 

i think keep going, AI art, imo, is a way for creators to tell a story without hiring an artist or being able to do it yourself . You are forthright saying its Ai and that is fair enough.  I hope the break lift your spirits and can make a decision you are happy with.

Keep'er going

I say AI or not, keep firing. Sure, a work made by hand of yourself would feel more natural and amusing, but hey, the AI can still make bangers enough to make a game with its help. Keep up, man! All cool. Cheers!