As part of a recent ad campaign promoting First Descendant's latest update, new playable character, and Nier Automata collaboration, the official First Descendant TikTok account posted a number of AI-generated ads that generated a significant backlash from the community. Not only were the ads AI-generated, complete with robotic delivery and nearly identical scripts, but the developer also seemingly used generative AI to feature several streamers and influencers in the ads. The most overt example of the latter is popular Warframe streamer and video creator, DanieltheDemon, who has since come out and denied his involvement in the campaign, stating "I have no affiliation nor contract with The First Descendant. They stole my face/reactions from my most viral video and used AI to change what my mouth says and a voice that isn't mine. I did not consent for my likeness to be used..." on a TikTok video reporting on the AI ads. The game's similarity to Warframe was almost certainly a factor in the decision to use DanieltheDemon's likeness in the ad.

In a recent thread posted to r/TheFirstDescendant on Reddit , a user put together a compilation of all the ads, and many members of the game's community have said that they will no longer be supporting the game as a result of the ad campaign. Nexon, the developer behind The First Descendant, has since responded to the AI ad controversy with a statement on X, apologizing for "certain irregularities" and stopping short of taking real responsibility for the dubious ad campaign. Instead, it blamed TikTok creators who took part in a recent "Creative Challenge" program and used claims that "videos are verified through TikTok's system to check copyright violations before they are approved" to seemingly avoid any potential legal blowback. It adds that the company is "conducting a thorough joint investigation with TikTok to determine the facts."