Sega has announced that it will use artificial intelligence in video game development, but with caution. The statement was made during a Q&A session with the company's investors, where Sega leadership said the technology would be applied in specific areas. This cautious approach is partly due to strong cultural resistance to AI.
Sega's future project plans
This response came after Sega was asked if it would follow the industry trend of creating larger projects. Sega explained that it is not opposed to the use of AI (thanks to GamesIndustry.biz).
Sega says, “Rather than completely following the trend of large-scale development, we will also pursue efficiency improvements such as the use of AI.'' “However, there may be strong resistance to introducing AI in creative fields such as character creation, so we will proceed while carefully identifying appropriate use cases, such as improving the efficiency of the development process.”
Industry opinion on AI in games
The debate over the use of AI in video games has been going on for some time. Although its use is becoming more common, many people still resist it. Nexon's CEO recently said after the release of ARC Raiders, which made extensive use of AI in audio, that “it's important to assume that every company is using AI.”
Similarly, Epic Games boss Tim Sweeney says it's safe to assume that most future games will be made partially using AI. He also argued that platforms like Steam don't need to label games created using AI.
But there are more cautious companies, like Take-Two, who believe it's impossible to make a game like GTA using AI alone. Many agree that these technologies can speed up game production, but cannot replace human developers.
