It's no secret that the gaming industry is going all in on AI, with giants like Take-Two and EA already adopting it as part of their production pipelines. Now, Blizzard Entertainment has joined the list, openly acknowledging its implementation in World of Warcraft. In an interview with Eurogamer, Gabriel Gonzalez, a member of Blizzard's visual arts team, defended the studio's use of AI. He emphasised that the technology is primarily applied to reduce repetitive and time-consuming work, freeing up more time for creative endeavours.
"I think for us, and the way we can think about AI and the tools and how we might or might not integrate them goes back to 'how do we find ways to do away with the more menial parts of the work,' and free up more time for people to be creative," Gonzalez explained.
He even cited a practical example from World of Warcraft: helmet fitting. Since the game features a wide variety of races with horns, unusual ear shapes, and other unique traits, AI has been used to streamline the process of adjusting helmets for each character type. "Things like AI help a lot with that," Gonzalez noted.
However, Blizzard stressed that AI is not used for core creative aspects such as designing characters or gameplay mechanics, areas where human creativity is still considered essential. Even so, the development raises concerns, as many in the industry have already lost their jobs due to companies increasingly relying on AI to cut costs and boost efficiency. The big question, then, is not if but when AI will start being introduced into more creative processes, even at the major studios.