By Jacob Miller | May 06, 2026
The trouble started on May 3 when Pitchford shared a digital image created by a computer program on his personal social media page, which shows a man in his 40s sitting at a desk in a dimly lit office that appears to follow a wood and black theme.
The best part about the photo is that the man in the image was made to look like him working at the studios by inputting the word "Gearbox." Fans noticed the whiteboard in the background of the picture had the words "players first" and "Borderlands 4" written on it and immediately speculated.
Users blasted the post because they believed it was wrong to make this demonstration because of the reasons associated with using AI to create material in a workplace. Pitchford stated that he considered the post to be nothing more than "a dumb, stupid thing" and that he disregarded the background text as meaningless.
He indicated that the purpose of the demonstration was to show how the tool would take examples from the internet and create counterfeit examples, as he believed that the concept of AI having an identity is just "crazy."
The controversy did not happen in a vacuum as a result of the release of this post about AI. Many gamers began to feel that AI was used at least in part in preparing the most recent Borderlands 4 patch notes because of the large number of incorrect and unusual typos as well as strange occurrences of nouns being misidentified, including a shield and a grenade. Many gamers felt that due to the volume of incorrectness in the patch notes, the studio must have enlisted AI in preparing its official communications.
Pitchford stated that the studio did not use AI and that all of the errors in the patch notes were due to human error, adding that company policy prohibits any AI usage in the workplace that would be visible to a customer. Pitchford also stated that he was using his personal mobile device instead of his workplace computer, which, he pointed out, remains completely separate from the rest of his personal systems.
He said that when he posted the update regarding Patch Notes, it was completely unrelated to any of the individual feelings that have developed in or around the Patch Notes by the community.
Comments Were Defiant and Only Increased the Divide
Rather than help mitigate the situation, Pitchford's antagonistic manner in his comments section added fuel to the fire of the controversy. For example, when one of Pitchford's followers stated that Pitchford's use of an AI-generated image to promote the company would help to normalise AI, and also diminish the integrity and standard of living for human beings by taking away their jobs, Pitchford swiftly commented that the person was an "idiot" for believing that.
This pattern of direct communication from Pitchford has previously included telling fans who were voicing their concerns regarding engine performance by saying, "If you think you can do it better, build your own game engine." Pitchford's continued defense of the Gearbox team as 'human,' 'imperfect,' and nowhere near 'artificial' is part of the culture at Gearbox.
He reiterated to his audience that creating entertainment has been his life's purpose/passion and further encouraged his critics to calm down and enjoy the experience; Pitchford closed his comments by thanking all of his followers for being involved in 'entertainment' that was created by 'human beings,' despite any imperfections.
Take-Two Offers More Measured Comments
The issue surrounding Gearbox is part of a larger situation at Take-Two Interactive, the company that owns Gearbox, and is also in line with how Take-Two executive staff has publicly stated that they will approach AI technology. Take-Two Chief Executive Officer Strauss Zelnick has publicly stated that he feels AI technology is capable of many things; however, he does not believe that it is possible for AI technology to replace human creativity.
Earlier this year, Zelnick commented that the concept of producing a product comparable to the anticipated GTA 6 using AI is "laughable" and further stated that while automation may assist in expediting workflow, it isn't capable of producing a great product.
The immediate concern for both Pitchford and Gearbox is to build back the confidence of the community that has been watching, to demonstrate that there is no intention to replace human imagination with AI and replace what has become family-friendly franchises.
