The quiet revolution: Why almost every game studio already uses AI but doesn’t advertise it

The attitude of players to artificial intelligence in the industry remains suspicious: any mention of AI in development often provokes a wave of criticism. At the same time, the technologies themselves have long ceased to be something experimental and are increasingly integrated into production processes. According to Google Cloud representative Jack Buser, the real scale of using AI in game development is much higher than it is commonly believed.

AI has already become part of everyday development

In an interview with an industry publication, he noted that about 90% of game studios use artificial intelligence in one way or another. At the same time, it is not so much about generative models that create final content, but about tools for optimizing processes.

AI is actively used to perform routine tasks: generation of draft materials, sorting through ideas, structuring data. For example, solutions like Gemini help create and analyze intermediate content, which is then refined manually. This approach allows you to redistribute resources: less time is spent on secondary elements, more time is spent on key aspects of the game.

Why the numbers differ

Interestingly, other studies show much lower figures — at the level of 40–50%. However, according to Jack Bueser, the difference is not the actual use of technology, but the willingness of the studios to talk about it openly.

Many companies prefer not to focus on AI due to fears of a negative audience reaction. In industry, a situation has developed where the technology is actively used, but remains “behind the scenes”.

How it works in practice

A good example is Capcom. Despite public statements that the final versions of its games do not contain AI-generated content, the company actively uses artificial intelligence in the early stages.

With its help, hundreds and thousands of variants of ideas are generated – from visual elements to concepts of the environment. Then AI helps to select the most promising ones, after which artists and designers are connected to the work. As a result, the creative team focuses not so much on sorting out options, but on finalizing the best solutions.

Effect for industry

This approach changes the very economics of development. The use of AI shortens production times and lowers costs, giving studios more freedom to experiment.

If earlier the creation of a large project could take 5-7 years, now there is an opportunity to launch several games at once. Even if not all of them become hits, the industry as a whole will benefit from diversity and an increase in the number of non-standard projects.

Perspective: From skepticism to acceptance

According to Jack Buser, the attitude of players towards AI will eventually change. As it becomes clear that technology is not making games worse, but helping to speed up game development and expand creative possibilities, the level of mistrust will decrease.

In fact, the industry has already passed the point where AI is an option. Today, it is a tool that subtly but systematically affects the creation of modern games – even if the studios themselves do not bring this fact to the fore.