The rise of AI products and platforms, such as ChatGPT, has brought about many questions about how AI technology will shape the future of video games. As reported by IGN, Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson commented on this during the company’s latest earnings briefing, saying that gaming will be “one of the greatest beneficiaries” of AI. However, he also acknowledged the “fear of displacement of the workforce” as a legitimate issue.
EA’s Stance on AI
EA’s hope is that AI will follow the same trajectory as the agricultural and industrial revolutions, whereby the immediate displacement of workers was followed by meaningful increases in job opportunities down the road. As such, the company is working closely to ensure that its employees benefit from AI technology and are able to do more things.
AI and Game Development
The expense and lengthy process of game development make it a prime candidate for AI to help speed up the creative iteration process. Laura Miele, another EA boss, noted that with AI, the “velocity of content” could be sped up, which will be essential as the company thinks about live game support at scale. Miele further stated that AI would help developers in issue detection, economic modeling, and even imagery detection as they continue to grow EA’s connected ecosystems.
EA’s Work with AI
EA has been working on advanced development systems using AI for years already. In 2018, the company announced that more than 1,000 people were working on Project Atlas—a technology-driven project that seemed incredibly ambitious at the time.
Other Companies’ Belief in AI
EA is not the only company that believes in using AI. In the tech industry, Microsoft has partnered up with ChatGPT and reportedly invested a whopping $10 billion into the AI company. Phil Spencer, Microsoft Gaming CEO, sees AI as a positive, additive force in gaming. Even Strauss Zelnick, the head of GTA parent company Take-Two, believes in AI, although he doesn’t think a rival developer could use it to make a genuine GTA competitor anytime soon. Lastly, the creator of PUBG, Brendan Greene, is using advanced machine-learning technology in his new game to create massive and realistic open worlds.
The Future’s Outlook
Although some people see AI as a threat to job security, EA and other companies believe that AI will lead to meaningful increases in job opportunities down the road. With AI having the potential to speed up the creative iteration process, the “velocity of content” for video games will increase, making the gaming industry a great beneficiary of AI.
