LogIn"AI isn't going to solve the big problem of the industry, which is leadership and vision."
Frederic Legrand - COMEO
Elon Musk, like many people of his particular sort, is full of big ideas. In the age of AI's rapid development, it is not surprising that he wants to leverage the tech for game-making.
The other day, he shared that his game studio XAI "will release a great AI-generated game before the end of next year."
Well, good luck to him, but the publishing lead of a game developer that has already released several fantastic games, including the hit Baldur's Gate 3, Larian Studios, doesn't seem to be that happy about Musk's idea.
Michael Douse expressed his doubts about Musk's understanding of the industry's needs: he believes it doesn't require "more mathematically produced, psychologically trained gameplay loops, rather more expressions of worlds that folks are engaged with, or want to engage with."
While he admits AI tools have their place just as that – tools – "we have all the tools in the world and they aren't compensating for the incredible lack of cogent direction. AI isn't going to solve the big problem of the industry, which is leadership & vision."
Douse doesn't think AI will solve current problems, as human touch and attitude are needed here: "Those who will succeed are those who are people building something for people."
"We need more human-human expression, not less. So much of tech (VR, cloud, etc) has been a VC cash grab. We don't need another cash grab, we need sustainability. That's what the tools could be good for. Definitely not replacing people."
"There simply is no resonance without mutual respect," he continued. "There is no mutual respect without respect for craft. There is no craft without the human touch; the relative skill issue, or 'the exhibition of otherness.' To turn games into digital, emotionless content is to abandon all resonance... which is why people play!"
I doubt Douse's speech will dissuade Musk, but hopefully, some publishers and developers will keep this in mind.
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