It's almost strange how audiences react to the idea of AI in games now. Back in the day, we used the term to simply describe how an enemy reacted to our movements and combat decisions, or how a game could learn from its player and adapt to their playstyle. Now, with genAI rearing its ugly head on even some massively successful titles, gamers don't want the future to be entirely AI-generated.
Worries were sparked over the new Tomb Raider game, Legacy of Atlantis, after Eurogamer spotted a disclaimer saying that there was AI usage in the game. The disclaimer popped up on Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis' Steam page, saying the following: "AI-assisted tools were used during development to support some early exploration and temporary development content. Any AI-assisted assets were either replaced or refined by humans in order to maintain the creative and artistic vision of the development team."
Crystal Dynamics, the developer behind the game, has since got back in touch with Eurogamer, clarifying the situation and why the AI disclaimer is there on the Steam page. "At Crystal Dynamics, we leverage AI tools to help our teams iterate on ideas faster and more efficiently, while ensuring that all finished content in the final product is human-crafted. Our goal is to empower the creativity and flexibility of our developers to deliver the highest-quality experiences for players everywhere," said a representative for the developer.
AI usage in the ideas phase seems to be the new norm for many studios these days. If it can speed up game development, there's a good argument to be had for its use, but right now we're still seeing long development timelines. Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis announced its release date at the State of Play earlier this week, but it revealed the date was delayed to February 2027.