AI, Creativity, and Flying Orc: Our Stance

Artificial intelligence sparks strong feelings across the creative world. Some see it as exciting, others as dangerous, and still others as “slop” that undermines artistry. We’ve heard all of these perspectives, and we take them seriously. At Flying Orc, we want to be clear, professional, and transparent about how we approach AI, what it means for our content, and where we’re headed as a company.

First and foremost: we do not see AI as a replacement for human creativity. The stories we tell, the worlds we build, the laughter and heartbreak shared at our table — those are born from real people. AI cannot replace that. AI should not replace that. AI will not replace that.

What AI can do is act as a tool. Just like video editing software helps polish footage, or using audio software to balance our levels, AI can help us raise the quality of our content in ways we otherwise couldn’t afford right now. It doesn’t create Flying Orc — it supports it.

We believe in transparency and accountability. We’ve walked away from AI services in the past when we disagreed with their values, and we continue to put our money only into companies that treat creators fairly.

For example, we use Artlist for music because it compensates real musicians. That matters to us. We will never support companies that steal from or exploit artists. The line is simple: if it’s not ethical, we won’t use it. We also work with and pay a lot of artists where possible for things like our emotes on Twitch, our logo, and some of the music we use. You can see a full list of credits here.

Flying Orc is still in its infancy. We are a team of real people with families, full-time jobs, and full-time responsibilities. Everything you see from us is built out of pocket, with no outside funding beyond what we’ve only just begun to earn through fan support on services like Twitch, Patreon and YouTube. This is something we value, and appreciate, and we talk regularly about how to use this income wisely to enhance our productions and quality, and get the required content like books, modules, hosting our website, and so on.

At this stage, hiring artists or musicians directly is not possible. That’s not because we don’t value them — it’s because we can’t afford them yet. AI isn’t preventing us from hiring; it’s helping us bridge the gap so we can keep creating at all. Without it, much of what we make simply wouldn’t exist.

In the future, we want to look back and see that AI helped us get off the ground — and that we were able to move beyond it by hiring real creatives whose talents elevate Flying Orc to new heights. We enjoy using these tools, but again, they are simply tools. Our main goal is to hire and support artists in future to create content for us, rather than have any software generate it. We genuinely recognise that we are missing the heart that comes from real art. This is something we truly look forward to having.

We believe ethics isn’t just talk, it’s action. That means supporting companies with strong values and refusing to fund those that exploit artists. It means being open with our community about the tools we use.

We’re not perfect, but we’re committed to being responsible.

The debate over AI will continue, and that’s healthy. These conversations matter. For our part, Flying Orc will keep creating, keep listening, and keep making decisions guided by ethics, transparency, and respect for artists.

We invite you to hold us accountable as we grow. We’re in this for the long haul, and we want you to be part of the journey — because Flying Orc isn’t just about content. It’s about community, creativity, and building something real together.