SF Founder's AI Game Draws Ire for Tenderloin Zombie Shooters

Overview

A San Francisco-based AI entrepreneur is facing intense backlash after releasing a multiplayer video game that allows players to shoot zombie versions of residents in the city’s Tenderloin district. The game, titled Night Shift, has drawn immediate criticism from residents and commentators who argue it exploits real-world issues such as homelessness and opioid addiction for entertainment.

The controversy highlights the growing friction between the tech industry’s rapid experimentation and the ethical responsibilities of creators who draw upon sensitive local contexts for digital products. While the founder defends the project as a technical demonstration of AI coding tools, critics describe the concept as grotesque and out of touch with the reality of the neighborhood.

The Game and Its Controversy

Night Shift is a browser-based multiplayer shooter that places players in a digitally reconstructed version of the Tenderloin, specifically around the intersection of Jones and Eddy streets. According to reports, the game features enemies depicted as zombies hunched over on sidewalks or riding Lime scooters. The environment also includes recognizable San Francisco elements, such as Waymo autonomous vehicles, Tesla Cybertrucks, and AI-powered billboards.

Pierre-Louis Biojout, the founder of the AI business platform NanoCorp, promoted the game on social media with a provocative caption. He wrote that because San Francisco “couldn’t fix the Tenderloin,” he decided to monetize the area instead. Biojout described the project as a Call of Duty-style zombie shooter set on real San Francisco streets.

The content of the game has been the primary source of outrage. One specific enemy type in the game is referred to as “the folded.” This term describes a posture associated with fentanyl overdoses, where a person bends forward at the waist while remaining standing. Critics argue that depicting individuals suffering from drug addiction as targets to be eliminated normalizes violence against a vulnerable population.

“A zombie game based on an inactive prison is different than you monetizing shooting unhoused drug addicts. You’re disgusting and really out of touch with reality.”

Social media users have pointed out that while other games, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, are set in fictionalized or historical locations like Alcatraz, Night Shift directly weaponizes the current humanitarian crisis in San Francisco. Many commenters have called for Biojout to “bring back shame” regarding his design choices.

Development and Technical Claims

Despite the ethical questions surrounding the game’s premise, Biojout has emphasized the technical achievements behind its creation. He stated that he developed Night Shift over the course of a single weekend using AI coding tools. Notably, Biojout claimed to have no prior experience in video game development before building the project.

As the founder of NanoCorp, launched in 2023, Biojout positions himself as an advocate for leveraging artificial intelligence to accelerate software creation. The rapid development timeline of Night Shift is intended to showcase the capabilities of these new AI-driven workflows, suggesting that complex interactive experiences can be generated without traditional programming expertise.

In addition to the technical demonstration, Biojout reported that the game has already generated $300 in advertising revenue. This financial detail has further fueled the debate, with critics arguing that profiting from the depiction of suffering adds a layer of exploitation to the controversy.

Supporters of the game, however, have focused on its gameplay mechanics and novelty. Some users have praised the title as one of the best games they have played in the current year. Others have mocked the critics, with one commenter sarcastically noting that they would call the game “sick” if they were not a “chud loser.” This divide reflects a broader cultural split between those who view such content as harmless satire and those who see it as harmful stereotyping.

Ethical Implications for AI Creators

The backlash against Night Shift raises significant questions about the ethical boundaries of AI-generated content. As large language models and coding assistants become more accessible, the barrier to entry for creating media has lowered dramatically. This democratization of creation allows individuals with limited resources or experience to produce polished-looking projects, but it does not necessarily accompany the same ethical frameworks found in established game development studios.

Critics argue that Biojout’s use of real streets and real demographic struggles—particularly those affecting Black and Brown communities—crosses a line from satire into malicious appropriation. The depiction of Black characters in the game has also been flagged for relying on racist tropes, compounding the offense for many observers.

The incident serves as a case study for the tech community. It illustrates the potential consequences of treating sensitive real-world data and human suffering as mere assets for digital experimentation. While innovation in AI is widely celebrated, this controversy suggests that the community may need to establish clearer guidelines regarding the use of local cultural contexts in AI-driven creative projects.

For now, the debate continues on social media, with some defending Biojout’s right to artistic expression and others demanding accountability for the harm caused by trivializing the opioid epidemic and homelessness.