AI was everywhere at the big Game Developers Conference, except in games

Artificial intelligence was everywhere at this year’s GDC gaming festival. Vendors at the event showcased generative AI tools for things like manufacturing AI-driven NPCs and Even entire games from the chat box. In the exhibit hall, I spent 10 minutes playing a demo of a fantasy pixel art world created by Tencent’s AI tools. In a briefing with Razer, I watched its QA AI assistant automatically log issues in the shooter. And there it was a lot Talks about artificial intelligence, incl Standing room only presentation By Google DeepMind researchers on operable spaces created by artificial intelligence.

But there was a major place where the AI ​​was lacking: the games themselves. Of the many developers I spoke to at the conference, almost everyone was against the idea of ​​using AI in their projects. “I feel that the human mind is very beautiful.” Multi way Developer Gabriel Paquette told me. “Why don’t you use it?”

It was a common refrain. Those I spoke to, mostly independent developers, denied AI, and many said they would never use the technology because it took away from the human element in development. Perhaps this is not surprising, On condition A recent GDC survey found that 52 percent of respondents believe that “productive AI is having a negative impact on the gaming industry,” which is up from 30 percent in 2025 and 18 percent in 2024. Some independent developers have already gone out of their way to show that Their games are “AI-free”. the Largely negative reaction to Nvidia’s DLSS 5, which was added in publicly shown examples Cliff-like faces For well-known game characters, it almost certainly won’t make younger developers more interested in technology.

The general idea of ​​generative AI in games is that it may benefit developers and players alike. In the most optimistic view of the technology, developers can use AI to help with tasks such as debugging, quality assurance, and idea generation, while gamers can use AI to help design games for themselves. Generative AI is “the biggest transformation in the gaming industry that I’ve ever seen in my almost 30-year career,” says Google Cloud CEO Jack Bowser, who helped launch Google Stadia and worked on PlayStation Now and PlayStation Home at Sony.

But for many of those who actually make games, the conversation is different. For example, Adam Saltsman and Rebecca Saltsman, co-founders of the studio and publisher “Collaborative.” Finjiknown for his independent songs such as Tunic and Dandelion: A Colorful TaleNote that their actions are identified in part by “the fingerprints of a specific person or persons.” In other words, a handmade and human quality, which can include an element of surprise. “You can show people what it is, but you’ll shatter all their expectations when they play it,” Rebecca adds. This philosophy goes against the idea of ​​using generative AI in development. When I asked the Saltsmans if they would consider using generative AI in any Finji games, the response was difficult. “Absolutely not,” says Adam.

Several developers have told me that, from their perspective, AI-made games don’t feel like human-made games, at least for now. The public “doesn’t connect” with generative AI, according to Abi Howard, of… Slay the princess Developer Black tabby gamesadding, “I think it’s generic, and I think it makes it look cheap.” Rebecca was more blunt, saying that generative AI “sounds like bullshit.” For Matthew Jackson, who is working on Comedy game My arms are longer nowThere is another practical problem: “AI is not funny at all.”

There are also legal issues that could complicate the sale of a game made using generative AI. Develop issues such as Environmental impact of artificial intelligence or Concerns about the data on which the AI ​​is trained“Saltsmans says Edge They do not believe there is a legal framework for selling generative AI outputs. (This problem is also exacerbated by the fact that Art created by artificial intelligence cannot be copyrighted.)

Finji isn’t the only publisher that doesn’t accept games made using generative AI. Panic, publisher Untitled goose game And creative Play date“He has no interest in creative products created by AI,” says co-founder Kapil Sasser. Edge. BigMode, the publishing company created by Jason Gastrow, also known as videogamedunkey, Requires developers To check the box on their application that says “I confirm that my game is human-made and does not involve any use of generative AI.” Even Hasbro, which is She is now developing her own video gamesdoes not use artificial intelligence in its development lines, CEO Chris Cox He recently said on Decryption.

But perhaps what came up most often in my talks at GDC is that using generative AI takes the craft out of making video games. “The only way to improve things is by putting a heavy emphasis on the applied craft profession,” says Tony Howard Arias of Black Tabby Games. Adam talked about how writing code can be “one of those things, like visual art, that influences the design of your game.” He points out that good programming is also beneficial for gamers: “Things that are difficult to program are often difficult for the player to understand as well.” Alex Shleifer, co-founder Ball game Developer Human Computer says the process of making games is just fun — and from the process, “you’ll also come up with better ideas.”

There are concerns that AI tools may take jobs from humans, which would reduce the pool of jobs already available in the industry Full of layoffs And provide new developers with fewer ways to get their foot in the door. But despite the promised cost savings and efficiency — and that’s assuming the AI ​​tool is comparable to what a human can do — this too will face problems. If you replace humans with AI, “where can you get new talent in the future?” Tony says.

Right now, the developers I spoke with believe that designing games by hand creates a more human connection. “We tell human stories,” says Rebecca. When you launch a game, there’s someone you’ll “never meet in your entire life playing something you’ve spent thousands and thousands of hours thinking about and working on.” Caring about their experience and that connection is “why we do this.”

Some indie developers I’ve talked to are open to possible That generative AI in games could be beneficial for development or could be widely adopted in the future. The film and television industry, for example, is seeing the rise of construction companies Customized AI models to assist in productionwhich could be a potential future for AI tools for game development. Maybe, at some point, artificial intelligence will be more accepted, Paquette says. But for now, he prefers to do “100 percent” manual work. “This is something dear to me.”