In early October, Junghun Lee, the CEO of Nexon, which is behind the game Arc Raiders, stated that he believes every game company is now using artificial intelligence (AI) in some capacity. This claim sparked significant criticism from the indie game development community, with some developers strongly disputing its validity. Alex Kanaris-Sotiriou, a co-founder of the indie studio Polygon Treehouse, remarked that this assertion is not true.
Developers expressed on social media that their choice to avoid generative AI is driven by both personal principles and marketing strategies aimed at assuring players that their games are crafted by human hands. Kanaris-Sotiriou pointed out ethical concerns regarding generative AI, particularly its reliance on existing works without proper permission.
Lee’s comments are part of a broader trend among gaming executives who predict AI will significantly influence the gaming industry. However, Kanaris-Sotiriou and other developers are actively pushing back against this narrative. In response, they created a seal that indie developers can use, which asserts that no generative AI was used in the development of their games. This seal is available for any studio to utilize in their promotional materials.
Developers like Jeffrey Chiao from D-Cell Games highlighted their commitment to human creativity by stating that their upcoming game, Unbeatable, was made entirely without generative assistance. Other teams are implementing their own strategies against generative AI, asserting that the challenges faced during game development often result in unique creative solutions.
Despite the technology’s increasing integration into the industry, which is seen by some as a means to enhance productivity and reduce costs, many developers remain skeptical, suggesting that the creativity of human developers cannot be fully replicated by AI.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/entertainment/827650/indie-developers-gen-ai-nexon-arc-raiders