Video games: developers worry about the impacts of generative AI tools

2024-03-18 03:15:25

Another year, another big poll on the state of the video game industry; this time, for the 2024 edition of State of the Game Industrya census carried out by GDC – the Game Developers Conference – among more than 3,000 professionals, it appears that, against a backdrop of waves of layoffs, the use of generative AI tools arouses optimism, but also concern.

Times are indeed tough for some video game entertainment workers, while 2023 was marked by a slowdown – clear, or at least perceived as such by studio executives – after the boom years of the pandemic, where the public There is a rush to computers and consoles to take their mind off things.

And alongside these thousands of jobs destroyed and these numerous games in live service – which require a connection to a central server and operate on a “come back” model for additional content over many years – which have disappeared due to lack of player enthusiasm, now AI tools generative, like Midjourney, are installed permanently.

In fact, just under a third (31%) of respondents mentioned using such software, while 18% of participants indicate that these tools are used by their colleagues.

Therefore, almost one in two industry employees (49%) report the use of these digital tools.

Very broadly, however, this use does not relate to the direct development of video games; It is rather on the side of finance, public relations and communications, or even production or team management, that we use these tools.

Despite everything, they are used in game design, scriptwriting, visual and sound creation, etc. Even quality assurance is not immune to this trend, the report reveals.

Still according to this document, it is developers working for independent studios – who represent around a third of respondents – who are most likely to use these tools. The majority of developers who turn to these software say they want to save time when it comes to helping write computer code and speeding up the creation process.

The survey also indicates that developers are “intrigued by the idea of using AI to automate repetitive tasks”.

“I would like to see AI tools that help with workflow and enable artists with their tasks. What I don’t want to see is a conglomerate of artists wrapped up in an AI that does 99% of the work a “creative” employee is supposed to do,” said one of the respondents, whose Anonymity has been preserved.

“I don’t want anything at all,” adds another. “AI exploits the work of others without crediting the effort or providing payment, and represents a net loss in true creativity. »

Ethical fears

Speaking of “theft” of content, the fault of which generative AI tools are generally accused, which “borrow” the work of other artists to develop their “style”, up to four out of five developers are afraid of ethical abuses software, with 18% citing a negative impact on the gaming industry, compared to 57% citing a “mixed impact”. Barely one in five participants (21%) believe that the effect will be positive.

In addition, 42% of those surveyed say they are “very worried” about the ethical aspect of using generative AI in industry, compared to the same proportion who say they are “a little worried”. Barely 12% of respondents say they do not fear these potential abuses.

Among other slip-ups, there is fear that the use of AI will lead to further cutbacks, while for other people, it is rather a wave of problems linked to copyright and intellectual property violations, in addition to the possibility that creators of digital tools “train” their software using data obtained without the consent of the original source of the data.

“As we rush to develop new technologies, we are ignoring many red flags and potential problems in this potentially dangerous new world,” said one survey respondent.

“Many of the developers involved in the use of AI seem blinded by the promises of artificial intelligence from people like Asimov, Greenburg and even Roddenberry, while knowingly ignoring the caveats and problems shared by these same creators in their works. »

An industry that is still male… and still on PC

If the video games industry is transforming, some things do not change: 87% of survey respondents with the most experience, i.e. more than 21 years of seniority, are men, with almost all of them White people in this group.

Another strong trend: the personal computer remains the most coveted platform for game development, with 66% of responses provided; the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series each get about a third of the responses, compared to about a quarter for the Android and iOS mobile platforms. The Nintendo Switch, on the other hand, has around 20% of the choices in this question where it was possible to select multiple answers.