A new survey by Game Developers Collective shows that developers remain at a standstill when it comes to generative AI.
Among those interviewed, 30 percent believe that technology will reduce development costs in the next 12 months. In contrast, 8 percent are certain that it will lead to increased costs, while 35 percent are skeptical and 20 percent think its impact will be insignificant.
GenAI is controversial both in and out of games, and the survey shows it will remain divisive for some time. The main arguments against it include its environmental damage and reduced quality compared to using human artists.
Image via Game Developer Collective.
On the quality front, 17 percent of developers surveyed believe that genAI will improve the quality of games in the coming year. 28 percent are neutral on the issue, while 35 percent think that its use will degrade the quality of games.
This fear has previously been expressed in relation to in-game art and voice acting. As of late July, SAG-AFTRA Actors They went on strike over the “existential threat” of genAI, and have previously spoken of contracts that forced them to sign voice rights.
On the other hand, its effectiveness has been touted as essential for getting athletes into the real world EA Sports College Soccer 25. Some studies, such as NintendoThey haven't completely abandoned the technology yet, it just can't be a quick fix during the development process.
Earlier this year, 49 percent of developers surveyed by the Collective said their studios were already using genAI at work, and 31 percent were using it outside of the office. Most of the in-office use was in finance, community, and production.
Good Afternoon co-founder Sarah Brin recently spoke about how executives have become so caught up in the promise of AI that they've turned the game creation process into a “clusterfuck,” which you can read Here.
Game Developer and GDC are sister companies of Informa Tech.