Amid controversy surrounding Nvidia's DLSS 5 — which has sparked significant backlash from gamers over the heavy influence of generative AI in graphics — AI is continuing to stir debate across the video game industry. And even as tools like Google's Project Genie are giving more power to users to create gaming environments, Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two Interactive (owner of Grand Theft Auto creator Rockstar Games) has downplayed AI's capabilities in creating memorable titles, such as GTA.
During an interview with Christopher Dring at The Game Business, Zelnick underscored that “human engagement and creativity” will be critical in gaming titles. While he does not dismiss the potential for AI tools to assist in generating assets for titles, he emphasised that such technologies cannot produce blockbuster hits on their own, insisting that true success demands human involvement.
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“I think the bear case for big entertainment companies is somehow that AI tools will mean everyone can create hits, but that doesn't stand to reason. These tools may help you create assets, but that won't help you create hits,” Zelnick said.
“You can create assets that might look like a big release, that might look like NBA 2K or EA Sports FC. But creating a hit of that magnitude is a completely different animal and does require human engagement and creativity,” he added.
Zelnick added that he was stunned by the market's reaction to AI advancements. He noted that technologies that predated Google's Project Genie (which helps create 3D interactive worlds), have already enabled more people to create games. Yet, with thousands of video games released annually, the major hits still predominantly emerge from large entertainment companies and robust indie teams.
He further called the idea of AI enabling anyone to instantly produce a massive gaming hit as laughable. “The notion that somehow new tools would allow an individual to push a button and generate a hit and bring it to millions of consumers around the world, it's a laughable notion,” he remarked.
Zelnick's comments come at a time when Nvidia's DLSS 5 is being criticised for adding “senseless details” in shots, with Gunfire Games Senior Concept Artist Jeff Talbot calling it “a garbage AI Filter.”
Also read: Gamers Slam DLSS 5's Generative AI Glow-Ups: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Reacts
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