The legacy of George R.R. Martin encompasses snowy winters and fiery dragons, an epic painted with blood, deceit, and honor. His book, A Feast for Crows, has been one of the centerpieces of Game of Thrones, laced with heavy narrative and symbolism. Therefore, when readers open up the new illustrated edition, they expect nothing less than complete loyalty to the legend and the glory of craftsmanship. However, the artist's line of work might be betraying Martin's strong ethical stance against artificial intelligence, even after he declared victory in the court. 

Murmurs of a compromise still linger through Westeros. How come a legal victory turns into a new controversy almost instantly? 

Illustrations in the latest edition of the fourth novel, A Feast for Crows, seemingly feature artworks created with AI by artist Jeffrey R. McDonald, as pointed out by several readers. Released on November 4, 2025, the controversy has already taken place online, with critics doubting that the artist might have either gotten help from AI or was the one generating them. According to Penguin Random House, the new edition contains twenty-four paintings in full color, all of which are made by McDonald, who is a famed traditional realist and digital artist. However, their style, precision, or consistency indicated that artificial tools were used instead of the artist's own hands. 

Some users on X have discovered that McDonald's choice of art, reeking of AI, also draws inspiration a little too close to fanarts, particularly almost copying the artworks of zippo514. Onlookers could not help but notice the similarities as well as criticize the AI prominence, for instance, in the inaccuracy of the art in swords, hands, and unrecognizable characters. This is a particularly ironic speculation since George R.R. Martin has been fiercely battling against the use of AI in writing. 

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There is a chilling parallel as on one side, the author is fighting for the artists' rights against AI, while on the other side, the illustrations in his books are getting accused of employing AI.

Recently, a US judge ruled that George R.R. Martin could go ahead with a class-action lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, one of the claims involving a ChatGPT Game of Thrones sequel that was so similar to Martin’s universe that it raised copyright concerns. As reported by Business Insider, US District Judge Sidney Stein ruled in Martin's favor.

The Manhattan federal court ruling stated, "A reasonable jury could find that the allegedly infringing outputs are substantially similar to plaintiffs’ works." In an ironic twist worthy of Westeros saga, George R.R. Martin's rival might now have slithered into the very brushstrokes that were meant to honor his vision. Though with AI images and texts being generated at a breakneck speed, true art is always worth the wait.

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What are your thoughts on AI allegations over A Feast for Crows artwork? Let us know in the comments below.