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Generative AI in Game Development
Generative artificial intelligence (GAI), on the one hand holds the potential to change the way games are made, helping developers create more engaging and realistic experiences.
On the other hand, it has come under scrutiny as many argue that it can be misused both ethically and creatively. Nicolay and Fredric, two students from the Games Development master’s program at the University of Skövde, have written a report about how generative AI tools are affecting game development.
Both have different backgrounds but share a passion for making games more exciting, engaging, and innovative
Meet the Authors: Nicolay and Fredric
Nicolay Johansen has a strong background in Game User Experience.
He has already completed his bachelor’s degree in this field and is now working on his master’s degree. Nicolay is also really interested in music and sound design for games, seeing them as important parts of making games fun and immersive. He can envision a professional future in various game-related fields; including academic research and indie game development.
Fredric Mourath brings a different set of experiences to the table. With a background in Music and a BSc in Game Design, Fredric is fascinated by storytelling through games. He enjoys designing unique and engaging experiences. Fredric’s love for combining music and stories with game mechanics drives his vision for future projects. With collaborators, Fredric is currently entering the indie scene, with ambitions to establish his own studio, where he can blend his love for music, storytelling, and game design to create innovative projects. He and his partners will be working with Game Tech Academy partner Science Park Skövde.
Both Nicolay and Fredric highly value the variety that lies in studying and working with games/game development – work which “turns you into a generalist” and can therein open many doors.
Their Report: AI in Game Development
Nicolay and Fredric’s report on the use of generative AI (GAI) by game development professionals ended up being much more than just a course project. Even though they’d believed in their idea from the start and worked hard on realizing it, they were surprised by how much attention the report received. The idea for their explorative study arose from their interest in the ongoing debates about generative AI. With their project, they wanted to address a current issue that they perceived as not being talked about enough:
What is current game development professionals’ actual, practical use and perspective on generative AI?
Key findings
Their survey-based study found that game professionals are split on using GAI. Out of 21 participants, 11 had not used GAI, while 10 had. Those who did mainly used it for testing, brainstorming, or creating placeholder assets, but never for final game content. Developers who didn’t use it either didn’t feel the need or found it too difficult to work with.
Opinions on GAI varied. Ten participants were positive, four felt it needed regulation, and three were against it. Notably, none of the designers used GAI, while most producers did. Older developers (over 30) were more likely to use GAI and viewed it positively, believing it made game development easier, though they agreed it couldn’t replace human creativity. As one older developer said, “It’s the future… Get on the train or get left behind.”
Some developers raised ethical concerns, especially around GAI being trained on other artists’ work. Producers, programmers, and artists found GAI useful for generating code, art, and text, but designers reported no use for it. According to the authors, these findings contrast with presentations at industry events like GDC, where AI tools are shown as fully integrated into workflows, producing high-quality content.
The small sample size of 21 developers from Norway and Sweden limits the study’s generalizability, especially in areas like sound and music, which were underrepresented. However, the findings offer valuable insights into how GAI is currently used in game development. Future research should expand the survey to include more developers, explore the ethical issues surrounding GAI, and look at how studio size affects AI tools’ adoption.
The Future of AI in Game Development
When asked about the future of AI in the game development world over the next five years, Nicolay and Fredric shared their thoughts.
Nicolay believes generative AI is developing faster than laws can keep up with. He suggests that having clear rules, like mandatory watermarks on content that’s been created using GAI, could help build trust with developers and players. However, he thinks that most creative people will still want to be heavily personally involved in their projects. “Most people want their own touch to be part of what they create,” he said, seeing AI as a tool, not something that can replace human creativity.
Fredric agrees but adds that public opinion will also shape how generative AI is used. He assumes that GAI will mostly be used in the background of game development, like helping to improve game engines or testing. He doesn’t believe AI will be able to generate good, compelling stories any time soon. “Game developers are very creative people, and they usually don’t like these kinds of AI tools,” he explained.
If big companies start using AI to replace people, Fredric thinks those developers will move to smaller studios or start their own companies.
Both Nicolay and Fredric agree: Tools utilizing generative AI can be powerful, but they’re not a solution. Decisively human creativity, vision, forethought, and decision-making are irreplaceable elements of any process as creative as game development, and anything but human intelligence and creativity should be used to enhance, not overshadow these qualities.
