Policies governing the application of generative AI are only in place at a small number of those studios.
Despite the fact that generative artificial intelligence may appear to be a relatively new phenomenon, it has been around for a long enough time for gaming firms to include it into their production processes. According to the findings of a recent poll that included more than 3,000 individuals working in the video game business, 49 percent of developers are employed by studios that currently make use of generative artificial intelligence. In addition, 31% of all respondents stated that they make use of generative AI tools in their professional lives. The majority of these developers are active in AI-inclusive procedures.
Presented by the Game Developers Conference (GDC), which released its 2024 State of the Industry report on Thursday, the study was conducted by the aforementioned organization. Survey respondents, who were located and surveyed by Omdia, a London-based research business and GDC sibling company, were also asked about their experiences with generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, DALL-E, GitHub Copilot, and Adobe Generative Fill. This was the first time in the report’s 12-year history that survey respondents were asked about their experiences with these tools. Not only did nearly half of the developers who were polled state that they used such tools at their place of employment, but the Graphics and Design Conference (GDC) and Omdia discovered that independent studios were the most likely to use generative artificial intelligence (AI), with 37% of respondents claiming that they personally utilized those tools. Respondents said that only 23% of their workplaces were not interested in working with generative artificial intelligence.
However, even developers that use generative artificial intelligence are concerned about the ethical implications of the technology. When asked about their concerns regarding the ethical implications of utilizing generative AI within their sector, 42 percent of developers said that they were very concerned, while another 42 percent stated that they were “somewhat concerned.” Only twelve percent of people were completely unconcerned.
Some individuals who were at least slightly concerned about the ethical implications of generative artificial intelligence highlighted their concern with intellectual property rules and plagiarism. In particular, they were concerned about the fact that ChatGPT, DALL-E, and other tools have a tendency to rely on text and images that were collected without the consent of their creators. Others expressed their concern that artificial intelligence might make the already appalling rate of layoffs at gaming studios much worse, which is a relevant problem that was also addressed in the survey conducted by the gaming Developers Conference.
Five-seven percent of respondents, when asked what type of impact they believe generative artificial intelligence will have on the video game business, answered that they anticipated a “mixed impact,” while eighteen percent anticipated a “negative impact.” The survey indicates that developers working in business, marketing, and programming were more likely to believe the technology would have a good influence. On the other hand, developers working in narrative, visual arts, and quality assurance were more likely to say the impact would be negative. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that these later sectors are more likely to be targeted by layoffs connected to artificial intelligence. Generative AI has already begun to effect labor that is traditionally performed by authors, graphic designers, storyboard artists, and other professionals.
One of the respondents, who wished to remain anonymous, stated that management will carefully consider the possibility of replacing artists or paying artists less for their job. While the technology is still in the process of being developed, they are already engaging in questionable activities. Once the technology is demonstrated to be effective, I anticipate that artists will be laid off as a whole.
The workplaces of only a few of the respondents now have policies in place that guide the utilization of generative artificial intelligence. 32% of developers reported that their studios did not have any kind of policy regarding generative artificial intelligence, while 30% of developers stated that their workplace’s policy was “optional.” Surprisingly, two percent of respondents reported that they were compelled to employ generative artificial intelligence techniques.