Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Grand Theft Auto publisher Take Two, says that AI won’t change the way its developers produce games going forward. Speaking with CNBC, Zelnick pointed out that game developers have been using artificial intelligence as a tool for decades. Adopting the technology won’t make it “cheaper, quicker, better, or easier to make hits.”
“All of our tools do help us to become more efficient,” Zelnick said. “What it means, though, is our creative people will be able to do fewer mundane tasks and turn their attention to the really creative tasks.”
Zelnick appeared on CNBC’s Squawk Box to discuss a number of topics including the SAG-AFTRA strike, acquisitions in the gaming space, and the use of AI in game development.
When asked if AI will be involved in the creative aspects of development, Zelnick doubled down, stating that AI can’t make creative decisions.
Publishers and developers have been split on how to approach using artificial intelligence. Ubisoft has been open about using AI for not only assistive tasks, but also writing.
In 2023, Ubisoft introduced Ghostwriter, a proprietary software that claims to be able to write barks in the style of the scriptwriters on the project. For context, barks are lines of dialogue that players hear in the world of a video game that aren’t part of the main story. For example, if a player is passing by a group of merchants on the street, they may hear lines inviting them over to view their wares. Barks can be time-consuming to write, but they are often how junior writers build experience and are still important to crafting an engaging and creative world for players to inhabit.
Smaller developers have been adopting AI as well, such as Curve Animation, the team behind the recent Steam hit, Liar’s Bar. All of the characters in Liar’s Bar are voiced by AI. It’s a controversial choice, one that impacts both voice actors and players.
Hopefully more publishers and developers will join Take Two and Rockstar Games in advocating for less artificial intelligence in the creative process. Especially given that Grand Theft Auto VI is shaping up to be one of next year’s best games.
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