Strauss Zelnick, the CEO of Take-Two Interactive, firmly believes that artificial intelligence has a limited role in game development due to its fundamental lack of creativity. He states that AI simply cannot create a game as intricate and compelling as Grand Theft Auto, the renowned open-world franchise from Take-Two’s subsidiary, Rockstar Games. Even if AI were to attempt such a feat, Zelnick suggests the outcome would be far from impressive, producing nothing ‘very good.’
During a recent interview, Zelnick voiced his skepticism regarding AI’s significant contribution to game development. While acknowledging AI’s potential in various applications, he emphasized that its utility in highly creative fields like video games remains considerably constrained.
The CEO also highlighted intellectual property concerns as a major hurdle for AI in creative sectors.
‘We must protect our own intellectual property, but beyond that, we must also be considerate of others,’ Zelnick explained. He stressed that any intellectual property generated by AI currently lacks legal protection.
Why AI Falls Short: A Lack of True Creativity
Crucially, Zelnick asserted that AI’s inherent ‘backward-looking’ nature prevents it from achieving the creative breakthroughs needed to produce a game as remarkable as Grand Theft Auto.
‘Even if we removed all constraints on AI today, could we simply press a button and generate a marketing plan comparable to ‘Grand Theft Auto’s’?’ Zelnick questioned. ‘The unequivocal answer is no. Firstly, the technology isn’t there yet, and secondly, I strongly believe the result would be mediocre and highly derivative.’
He elaborated that AI models rely heavily on existing data sets, which are by nature ‘backward-looking.’ While this approach might be effective in other domains, it proves insufficient for crafting the complex and immersive worlds characteristic of modern video games.
‘Anything that involves backward-looking data, computation, and large language models, AI is really good for it, and that applies to lots of stuff that we do at Take-Two,’ he acknowledged. ‘However, for anything that extends beyond these data-driven boundaries, AI will perform exceptionally poorly.’
He concluded his argument by stating that, by its very definition, true creativity cannot originate from an AI model.
Zelnick’s remarks are particularly timely, given the growing trend in the gaming industry to integrate AI into video game production as a cost-saving measure. A recent Business Insider report highlighted that Electronic Arts, for instance, has even mandated AI usage across nearly all departments for its 15,000 employees.
Further illustrating this industry shift, EA recently announced a partnership with Stability AI to collaborate on developing AI models, tools, and workflows designed to support creative professionals and artists.