By Some logic, at last!
- by Ben Kerry
In a recent discussion with CNBC, Take-Two’s Chief Executive Strauss Zelnick dismissed the application of AI in the firm’s video games – further stating that GTA couldn’t be crafted with that technology due to “a lack of imagination” in the AI paradigm.
In what’s an extraordinary demonstration of common sense from a video game publisher leader, Zelnick asserts that since AI is fundamentally “data-driven”, its present configuration isn’t suitable for the imaginative process – such as assembling a grand video game like GTA 6.
“The team’s inventiveness is phenomenal, and what Rockstar Games aims to achieve, and has consistently accomplished, is to create something that nears perfection […] There is no imagination that can exist by definition in any AI model, because it is data-driven.”
Zelnick continued by stating “what we undertake at Take-Two isn’t linked to that [data-driven model]” and asserted that if the company were to endeavor to incorporate AI into its creative workflow, the outcome would be “fairly derivative”.
“The response is no. A, you can’t do that yet, and B, I hold the belief that you wouldn’t arrive at anything very commendable. You result in something quite derivative.”
Naturally, the Take-Two executive is speaking from a position of advantage – GTA 6, along with nearly everything Rockstar engages in, enjoys boundless time and budget thanks to its immense popularity. Nonetheless, what Zelnick articulates resonates significantly with us, and one could argue that Take-Two and Rockstar have earned that position of privilege over time.
As of this writing, we should expect to observe what all this non-AI game development yields by next May, when GTA 6 officially debuts for Xbox Series X|S. That is, assuming there are no further delays, which might occur given Rockstar’s history and the specific case of GTA 6.
Opinions on these remarks from the Take-Two executive? Share your thoughts below.
[source cnbc.com]
Ben is a News Writer at Pure Xbox and enjoys action, racing, and straightforward shooting in any Xbox game he can find. When he’s not gripping an Xbox controller as if his life depends on it, Ben spends his time listening to music that is likely too old for him, watching football on TV, and probably dining somewhere.