TLDR
- Major gaming companies like Activision Blizzard are increasingly using generative AI tools for tasks like concept art and asset creation.
- Many game artists and developers fear AI will replace their jobs, with concept artists and 2D artists seen as most at risk so far.
- Some studios have laid off artists and are now using AI or outsourcing to compensate, while others are developing their own internal AI tools.
- There’s a divide in the industry between executives excited about AI’s potential and workers concerned about job losses and creative impacts.
- The use of AI in games is raising concerns about copyright infringement, quality control, and the need for unionization to protect workers.
The video game industry is grappling with the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, as major studios increasingly adopt AI tools for game development while workers fear for their jobs and creative control.
A WIRED investigation has found that companies like Activision Blizzard are already using generative AI extensively, despite assurances to employees that AI would not replace human artists.
Internal emails obtained by WIRED show that Activision began approving the use of AI tools like Midjourney and Stable Diffusion for concept art in early 2023.
By July, the company had secured access to GPT-3.5 and expanded AI use to marketing materials and user surveys. This proliferation of AI has coincided with significant layoffs across the industry, with an estimated 21,500 game workers losing their jobs in 2023 and 2024 combined.
AI is already killing jobs in video games. My investigation for @Wired reveals that major studios are already using AI for concept art and asset generation, foisting AI trainings on games workers and that AI is playing a role in the mass layoffs that have roiled the field. pic.twitter.com/GJz5XLiYaE
— Brian Merchant (@bcmerchant) July 23, 2024
Concept artists and 2D illustrators appear to be the most impacted so far. “A lot of 2D artists were laid off,” said one Activision employee, speaking anonymously.
“Remaining concept artists were then forced to use AI to aid in their work.”
Other studios have followed suit, with some job listings now requiring applicants to have expertise in AI tools.
The adoption of AI is not uniform across the industry. Some companies, like Blizzard Entertainment, have reportedly banned the use of public AI generators.
Others, like Electronic Arts and Riot Games, have expressed optimism about AI integration while also conducting layoffs. This divide reflects broader tensions between executives excited about AI’s potential and workers concerned about displacement and creative impacts.
“There are basically two camps,” says artist Karla Ortiz, “companies that are like ‘Oh, hell no,’ and companies who see this as ‘Ooh I can cut labor costs.'”
The use of AI in game development raises several concerns. Copyright infringement is a major issue, as it remains unclear whether using unlicensed intellectual property to train AI systems violates copyright law.
Quality control is another worry, with some developers noting that AI-generated content often falls short of human-created work, especially for complex tasks.
The trend towards AI has also sparked renewed interest in unionization among game workers. Many are looking to the example set by Hollywood writers, who secured protections against AI use in their recent contract negotiations. “If AI is going to be used, it has to be used with workers’ consent and workers having a voice,” says narrative designer Dan Beglov.
Some studios are developing their own proprietary AI tools, potentially reducing their reliance on human artists even further. Riot Games and Blizzard are reportedly working on internal AI systems, though details remain scarce.
Not all AI applications in gaming are viewed negatively. Some developers see potential benefits in using AI for mundane tasks or complex problem-solving. However, there’s a widespread concern that profit-driven implementation of AI could lead to job losses and a decline in creative quality.
“AI isn’t bad in and of itself,” says one veteran AAA games developer.
“It’s bad when the end goal is to maximize profits. AI can be extremely helpful to solve complex problems in the world, or do things no one wants to do—things that are not taking away somebody’s job.”
