Take-Two CEO Dismisses AI's Role in Game Development, Says Technology Lacks Creativity for GTA-Level Productions

GTA 6 couldn't be made by AI suggests Take-Two boss: "There is no creativity that can exist by definition in any AI model"

Take-Two Interactive boss Strauss Zelnick has returned to the subject of AI, this time suggesting the controversial technology could never create anything like GTA 6 because "no creativity... can exist by definition in any AI model." Zelnick has taken a measured position on artificial intelligence - a term he's previously described as an "oxymoron" - in the past, saying that while he's "pretty enthusiastic" about its potential to help the company "do a better job and to do a more efficient job" as a tool, it takes "genius" to "create hits" and "genius is the domain of human beings". His latest comments, shared during CNBC's recent Technology Executive Council Summit, expand on that perspective, specifically in regard to AI's "derivative" nature. One immediate concern for Strauss is copyright. "We have to protect our intellectual property, but more than that, we have to be mindful of others," he explained. "If you create intellectual property with AI, it's not protectable." Ultimately, Take-Two's content must stand up to copyright laws, he added, while also protecting people's rights, leading to "constraints". But Zelnick also believes the inherently "backward looking" nature of AI - a result of its dependence on big data sets of old information - means it's "derivative" in a way that doesn't suit creativity. "Let's say there were no constraints [on AI]. Could we push a button tomorrow and create an equivalent to the Grand Theft Auto marketing plan?" he continued. "The answer is no. A, you can't do that yet, and B, I am of the view that you wouldn't end up with anything very good. You end up with something pretty derivative." "There are many, many, many things in life that are predictable based on data," he added. "Anything that involves backward-looking data compute, [AI is] really good for that and that applies to lots of things [but] what we do at Take-Two, anything that isn't attached to that, it's going to be really, really bad at." Referencing Grand Theft Auto specifically, Zelnick added, "What [developer] Rockstar Games tries to do, and so far has done over and over again, is create something that approaches perfection... There is no creativity that can exist by definition in any AI model, because it is data-driven."

Take Two comments on Grand theft Auto 7 and Rockstar using AI to make it

TL;DR: Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick expresses skepticism about using AI in Grand Theft Auto development, citing intellectual property concerns and AI's reliance on past data, which limits creativity. He emphasizes that Take-Two prioritizes original, innovative content that AI cannot replicate or protect effectively. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick is already discussing future installments in the Grand Theft Auto franchise and how artificial intelligence will play a role in development. One of the hottest topics in the gaming industry is how developers will adopt artificial intelligence into their workflow, and if the power of AI will be used as a tool to speed up game development without compromising the end product, and ultimately, making thousands of game developers obsolete in the process. In a recent interview with CNBC, the CEO of Grand Theft Auto's publisher, Take-Two Interactive, Strauss Zelnick, was asked if AI would play a role in the development of titles under Take-Two's banner. Zelnick said that while he isn't a "naysayer" when it comes to integrating AI into video game development, he remains skeptical about its use, for several reasons. The first being intellectual property rights, and how creating any IP with AI automatically makes it unprotected. This point echoes a popular ongoing debate between AI companies, Hollywood, musicians, and other creative industries, as many AI models have gained the ability to create "unique" content by absorbing intellectual property. "We have to protect our intellectual property, but more than that, we have to be mindful of others. If you create intellectual property with AI, it's not protectable," Strauss told CNBC's Steve Kovach in an interview at the CNBC event As for Grand Theft Auto 7 and future Grand Theft Auto titles, Zelnick said he doesn't believe Take-Two could "push a button" and have AI create the marketing plan for the next Grand Theft Auto game, as AI is inherently "backwards-looking". Zelnick is referring to AI being comprised of data sets of old information, meaning AI isn't good at generating something creatively new, which is what Take-Two strives to do with each of its titles. "Let's say there were no constraints [on AI]. Could we push a button tomorrow and create an equivalent to the 'Grand Theft Auto' marketing plan?" he said. "The answer is no. A, you can't do that yet, and B, I am of the view that you wouldn't end up with anything very good. You end up with something pretty derivative." "Anything that involves backward-looking data compute, it's really good for that and that applies to lots of things," he said. "What we do at Take-Two, anything that isn't attached to that, it's going to be really, really bad at." "The team's creativity is extraordinary, and what [Take-Two subsidiary] Rockstar Games tries to do, and so far has done over and over again, is create something that approaches perfection," he said. "There is no creativity that can exist by definition in any AI model, because it is data-driven," Strauss added

Take-Two CEO Says AI Won't Be 'Very Good' at Making a Game Like GTA

* Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said AI can't make games like GTA * AI models have no creativity, the Take-Two boss said * Take-Two will release GTA 6 next year Take-Two Interactive CEO, Strauss Zelnick, has said the impact of artificial intelligence on game development is "limited" as AI models lack "creativity". According to the executive, AI can't create a game like Grand Theft Auto, the popular open-world crime franchise from Take-Two subsidiary, Rockstar Games. And even if it could, it wouldn't be "anything very good". Zelnick's comments came in a CNBC interview this week, where the Take-Two boss played down the value of AI in game development. He said he wasn't a "naysayer" over the potential applications of AI, but its use in creative mediums like games was "still limited." The Take-Two CEO pointed to constraints related to intellectual property in a creative medium. "We have to protect our intellectual property, but more than that, we have to be mindful of others," Strauss told CNBC. "If you create intellectual property with AI, it's not protectable." AI Lacks Creativity, Says Take-Two CEO But more importantly, Zelnick said that AI was "backward looking" and hence would not succeed creatively in making something as good as a Grand Theft Auto game. "Let's say there were no constraints [on AI]. Could we push a button tomorrow and create an equivalent to the 'Grand Theft Auto' marketing plan?" Zelnick said. "The answer is no. A, you can't do that yet, and B, I am of the view that you wouldn't end up with anything very good. You end up with something pretty derivative." AI models, the executive said, worked on data sets of older information, and while that approach could help in other fields, it would struggle to create complex and immersive video game worlds. "Anything that involves backward-looking data, compute, and LLMs, AI is really good for it, and that applies to lots of stuff that we do at Take-Two," he said. "Anything that isn't attached to that, it's going to be really, really bad at." Zelnick went on to say that creativity could not exist "by definition" in any AI model. The Take-Two boss' comments come at a time when several companies in the games industry have begun pushing AI in video game production to cut costs. According to a recent Business Insider report (paywalled), the leadership at Electronic Arts, which recently released Battlefield 6, has mandated AI use for its 15,000 workers across different teams for "just about everything". Last week, EA also announced it was partnering with Stability AI to co-develop AI models, tools, and workflows to aid creatives and artists.

If AI tried to make a new Grand Theft Auto, it wouldn't make "anything good," says Take-Two CEO

As AI looks to encroach on all art forms, there are a wild amount of opinions on whether it's going to save gaming or doom it. Strauss Zelnick, Take-Two's CEO and one of the only men speaking about Grand Theft Auto VI that has actually seen it, doesn't seem convinced by AI yet. Speaking with CNBC, when asked if AI could be used to create another Grand Theft Auto, Zelnick said that the technology wouldn't make anything good. "Let's say there were no constraints [on AI]. Could we push a button tomorrow and create an equivalent to the Grand Theft Auto marketing plan?" he said. "The answer is no. A, you can't do that yet, and B, I am of the view that you wouldn't end up with anything very good. You end up with something pretty derivative." Zelnick's point is that AI is "backward looking," and therefore cannot create anything that feels entirely new because it works on predictive models. "There are many, many, many things in life that are predictable based on data," he said. "Anything that involves backward-looking data compute, it's really good for that and that applies to lots of things. What we do at Take-Two, anything that isn't attached to that, it's going to be really, really bad at." Take-Two has given Rockstar plenty of time to work on Grand Theft Auto VI and make it something that'll hopefully blow our socks off whenever it releases. That creative control, in Zelnick's mind, seems to offer something that AI never can.