Krafton names new AI chief who says tech will amplify creativity, months after hiring freeze

Krafton's new chief AI officer says the company 'uses AI as a tool to amplify human imagination and creativity, not replace it' 3 months after it announced a hiring freeze and launched a voluntary resignation programme

Krafton loves AI. Indeed, the publisher loves it so much that it followed a record-breaking quarter in November by starting a hiring freeze and a voluntary resignation programme so it could restructure itself around AI. Instead of investing in people, it's investing $88 million in a technology that has yet to remotely prove itself in videogame development. But wait! AI is really here to help humans, not kill their careers. Please ignore what's staring you right in the face and instead trust Krafton's new chief AI officer, Kangwook Lee. He's been the head of Krafton AI since 2022, and in this new executive role he will oversee AI R&D and "mid-to-long-term innovation strategy". And he wants you to know that AI is your friend. "Krafton uses AI as a tool to amplify human imagination and creativity, not replace it," he said. "Rooted in our core gaming business, Krafton will continue to explore future possibilities backed by AI innovation and data for long-term growth and player value." How does Krafton use AI to amplify human imagination and creativity, you might be wondering? Unfortunately, Lee doesn't offer any examples, but that's OK, we can just look at what he's been doing since he started working with Krafton on its AI ambitions. Last year, for instance, he worked with Nvidia to introduce "co-playable characters" -- a stupid name for gen AI NPCs -- in Krafton games, most notably Inzoi. Nvidia's been experimenting with this tech for a while now, and the results are poor. Interesting, perhaps, but a big step down from curated, human-created NPCs. If you're wondering how shallow, uncanny NPCs amplify human imagination and creativity, I'm right there with you. Because surely it doesn't. Like, at all. The most notable impact of AI at Krafton, so far, is the cost on the human side of its business. It's getting rid of current employees and not bringing in new ones. This is, like so many AI endeavours, bad for people -- with the exception of AI specialists and the eager suits who fund them. Then there's the AI robots Krafton is researching. Physical AI and robotics will fall under Ludo Robotics, which is still being established, and the Korean subsidiary will be led by Lee. I'm sure that'll be good for humans. From Krafton's announcement, there's only really one place where AI research and implementation might actually make life better for Krafton employees, and that's the pillar of "enhancing operational efficiency". This is all about streamlining workflows and reducing repetitive tasks. This can be helpful, to an extent, at least until things like creating bespoke concept art end up filed under "repetitive tasks". Anyway, expect to see more AI slop and creepy NPCs who sound like robots attempting to infiltrate human society in your Krafton-published games. Yay.

KRAFTON Pushes Even More Into AI R&D with New "Chief AI Officer"

South Korean developer and publisher KRAFTON announced another step toward expanding its AI R&D framework: the appointment of Kangwook Lee as the company's new Chief AI Officer (CAIO). Lee has actually been at Krafton since 2022 in the role of Head of KRAFTON AI; the promotion is a sign of the company's continued investment in AI research and development. As a reminder, the company has been calling itself "AI First" for a while now. Lee has already led major initiatives, including the collaboration with NVIDIA to develop CPCs (Co-Playable Characters), AI-driven companions designed to enable real-time interaction between players and in-game teammates. Those debuted in KRAFTON's life simulation game inZoi, featuring the so-called Smart Zoi NPCs, which can adapt to the environment and respond to events around them. Soon, the technology will also be introduced in PUBG with the PUBG Ally system, built on NVIDIA ACE technology and running an SLM (Small Language Model) on-device. PUBG Ally NPCs can discuss strategies with players and adapt their playstyle accordingly. The NPCs can bring over requested items, assist in reviving teammates, and make independent decisions during looting, combat, and survival situations. They also work with voice-based interaction and already support English, Korean, and Chinese, with the first tests planned early this year in PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS Arcade. Under Lee's leadership, KRAFTON's AI strategy will focus on three core areas: Most gamers still aren't on board with this, as evidenced most clearly by the controversy sparked by Larian's usage of AI in the development of Divinity, but KRAFTON appears to have chosen its lane without much hesitation. Only time will tell whether they made the right move. Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.