Embracer Group is moving towards using AI in game development following mass layoffs and game cancellations a few months ago. Eidos Montreal, parent company of THQ Nordic, Gearbox Entertainment and Crystal Dynamics, said in a statement. The company announced that it is adopting an AI policy in its game production model, despite controversy within and outside the gaming industry surrounding the use of AI. The company said that not using AI would cause it to fall behind major game developers and publishers such as EA, Sony, Square Enix and Ubisoft, and argued that the technology will help speed up the development process and provide players with an optimized gameplay experience.
“AI has the ability to significantly enhance game development by increasing resource efficiency and adding intelligent behavior, personalization and optimization to the gameplay experience,” Embracer said in the report. “Leveraging AI creates more engaging and immersive experiences that deliver a unique, dynamic and personalized experience for each player.”
Embracer said it cited the benefits of using AI both inside and outside of game development, but understands that deploying the technology is not without risks: AI, it said, “can produce unethical, biased, discriminatory, or outright incorrect results if used outside of its intended design, without proper training or guidance.”
Embracer's plans to introduce AI come just months after the company laid off 1,500 employees and canceled 80 games over the past year. Despite concerns that AI will replace human workers, Embracer says it has no plans to use it that way. The company even goes so far as to say that AI will open the door to some developers in the gaming industry, including people with disabilities who can't operate certain equipment in the same way as able-bodied people. Time will tell if they keep that promise.
