After the latest AI controversy in the gaming world - following Larian Studios admitting generative AI would be used in the upcoming Divinity game - Daniel Vávra, co-founder of Warhorse Studios and director of both Kingdom Come: Deliverance games, has reignited the AI debate. On their X profile, Vávra claimed that every studio is now using generative AI for similar work. While acknowledging the technology’s many negative aspects, Vávra argued that people should accept that AI is here to stay and make use of it.

Vávra's defense of AI mainly focused on the amount of time it can save in game development.


“If AI can help me make an epic game in a year with a smaller team like in the old days, I’m all for it. That game will still have an art director, writers, programmers, and graphic designers, but they won’t have to do the tiresome and boring tasks - they’ll be able to focus on the essentials.”


“I have ideas for lots of games, but I’m fifty years old and so far it’s taken me seven years on average to make one game. If AI helps me realize those ideas faster, I’m all for it.”

Vávra also addressed the recent controversy over Ark Raiders’ use of AI for voice lines instead of real voice acting, claiming that for less meaningful dialogue, AI has a role, but important dialogue should still be handled by real voice actors.

It seems we are approaching a slippery slope with AI, as it becomes more mainstream in high-profile games. Some games, like Kingdom Come, might use AI for upscaling assets, as Vávra claimed, while others, like Call of Duty, seem to be using AI-generated art extensively. The balance between using AI as a tool - like the newest version of unpaid interns - and letting AI do all the work will be an interesting trend to watch in the coming years.

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