Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few years, you've probably become aware that game development as a career is in a bit of a crisis right now. There may be more games than ever reaching storefronts, but that means the competition is fiercer and more cutthroat than before, with thousands of jobs being lost at the drop of a hat.
Outside of layoffs, though, perhaps the biggest talking point in game development right now is generative AI and its usage. In GDC's latest survey, we see that over 50% of respondents said that generative AI is being used in their company and/or their department, with 80% of respondents that use AI say it is being primarily utilised in brainstorming/research.
52% of workers - the same number that said AI is being used in their company - say that the technology is bad for the industry. This is up from 30% last year and just 18% the year prior. "Generative AI tools can be beneficial for specific, non-creative tasks that improve efficiency and streamline workflows. However, their use in creative processes or player-facing content is strongly discouraged due to ethical, legal, environmental, and reputational concerns," was the response given out by GDC's own internal AI tool when asked if gaming professionals should use genAI.
Elsewhere in the report, we see that 31% of workers not based in the US have cancelled plans to travel there due to the current regime. As Trump's borders feel tighter than ever, 60% of non-US companies said they have had their ability or desire to work with American companies impacted by immigration policies.
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