Todd Howard says AI can't replace human intention but helps Bethesda build worlds faster

Todd Howard says AI can't replace human 'creative intention,' but it's part of Bethesda's 'toolset for how we build our worlds or check things'

During a recent event for the second season of the Fallout TV show that premiers later this month, Bethesda's Todd Howard joined the press junket fray to talk about the lasting influence of New Vegas, skipping the "war never changes" refrain, and -- in an interview with Eurogamer -- the use of AI in game development. "I view it as a tool. Creative intention comes from human artists, number one," Howard said. "But I think we look at it as a tool for, is there a way we can use it to help us go through some iterations that we do ourselves faster?" As most recently demonstrated by publisher Running With Scissors' thermonuclear 48-hour Postal flameout, AI remains a hotly contested topic in the games industry. Some think we'd better all just get used to it, like Epic CEO Tim Sweeney, who insists that "AI will be involved in nearly all future production." Others have a less enthusiastic view, like Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser, who likened it to a tech equivalent of mad cow disease being pushed by "a certain group of people, who maybe aren't fully-rounded humans." Howard, it seems, falls somewhere in the middle alongside figures like Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick, who in October said he expected AI will "probably be able to create a bunch of efficiency," but won't ultimately "recreate or create genius." Bethesda, Howard said, isn't using AI for "generating things." But the studio and publisher considers it as merely the latest addition to evolving development practices and standards. "We are always working on our toolset for how we build worlds or check things. I think if you go back 10 years ago, that version of Photoshop, you wouldn't want to go back to that version of Photoshop," Howard said. "That's our view on it. But we want to protect the artistry. The human intention of it is what makes our stuff special." It could be tempting to ask how generative AI could "protect the artistry" when it often relies on bodies of training data that incorporates -- or "steals," depending on your inclination -- art without the permission of its creators. But it's possible that Howard's referencing applications of machine learning and automation tech that are now being colloquially lumped in with LLM and gen-AI software, despite predating the recent AI boom. The widespread muddying of what is and is not AI is one of the more maddening symptoms of generative AI's emergence, which drove our Wes Fenlon to ask back in October "at what point on that slippery slope do the tools that aid efficiency begin to cause erosion" of the creative workforce it's ostensibly assisting? Still, even if Bethesda is somehow evading Microsoft's internal AI mandates, it's interesting that Howard compared non-AI workflows with choosing a 10-year old version of Photoshop, because opting for an outdated version of Photoshop is something that artists have been doing for over a decade. In 2013, Adobe transitioned its Creative Suite to a monthly subscription pricing model. It was a widely reviled decision, and Adobe's preexisting reputation for bloating Photoshop with features that often went ignored meant many users were more than happy to stick with their trusty Photoshop CS6. Many never went on to upgrade, even after Adobe made CS6 unavailable for purchase in 2017 and ended ongoing support. Using CS6 now requires registry edits and compatibility fixes on current versions of Windows, so those numbers have dwindled as users grudgingly transitioned to a CC subscription or different art software. But you can still find CS6 being used and recommended by artists who are uninterested in the tools added to more recent iterations of Photoshop. In short, Photoshop is maybe not the metaphor I'd choose for clear toolset improvement. Then again, if I had to name a piece of software I could confidently say has improved in the last decade, I'd have to think longer than I'd like. Is that good?

Fallout and Elder Scrolls boss Todd Howard defends AI in game development, but aims to "protect artistry" and "human intention" in his games

Bethesda's Todd Howard has shared his thoughts on the use of AI in video games, calling it a "tool" but one that can't replace human intention. Howard sat down with Eurogamer's social producer Mat Jones at an event for the second season of Fallout earlier this week. While much of the discussion focused on the Amazon series, Mat took the chance to ask Howard about AI, which remains a hotly debated topic within the industry. "I view it as a tool," Howard told Mat. "Creative intention comes from human artists, number one. "But, I think we look at it as a tool for, is there a way we can use it to help us go through some iterations that we do ourselves faster. Not in generating things, but we are always working on our toolset for how we build our worlds or check things. "I think if you go back 10 years ago, that version of Photoshop, you wouldn't want to go back to that version of Photoshop." "That's our view on it," the Bethesda head closed. "But we want to protect the artistry. The human intention of it is what makes our stuff special." Howard's words come as more and more developers are dipping their toes - or at times their whole foot - into the technology. AI has been used across all levels of game development, such as NPCs like those in the recently-released Where Winds Meet. Last year, a report by Unity claimed 62 percent of studios using its tools used AI at some point during game development. In this report, Unity noted animation was the top use case. A GDC survey from that same year, meanwhile, reported that around a third of industry workers reported using AI tools already. In 2025, that number is likely to be higher, and a recent Tokyo Games Show survey reported over half of Japanese game companies are using AI in development. Reports of AI use are continuing to make headlines as we march confidently towards the end of the year. Just this afternoon, publisher Running with Scissors cancelled upcoming game Postal: Bullet Paradise - a co-op "bullet-heaven" first-person shooter from developer Goonswarm Games - after feedback to the reveal two days ago said much of the game appeared to have been made using generative AI. Last month meanwhile, Epic Games boss Tim Sweeney said "AI will be involved in nearly all future production", so having Steam games disclose whether they were built with AI makes about as much sense as telling us what kind of shampoo the developers use.

Elder Scrolls and Fallout boss Todd Howard says AI is a useful "tool" in game dev, but "not in generating things" because "the human intention of it is what makes our stuff special"

"We are always working on our toolset for how we build our worlds or check things" Bethesda Game Studios executive producer Todd Howard says there's a place for AI in video game development, but not of the generative variety, thank goodness. In an interview with Eurogamer, Howard tread carefully through the minefield that is AI in video games discourse, stressing the irreplaceability of human creativity, but clarifying that AI can be a useful "tool" in game development, specifically to help with iterative processes that would take a lot longer by human hand. "I view it as a tool," Howard said. "Creative intention comes from human artists, number one. "But, I think we look at it as a tool for, is there a way we can use it to help us go through some iterations that we do ourselves faster. Not in generating things, but we are always working on our toolset for how we build our worlds or check things." Howard is far from the first high-profile game developer to suggest AI as a tool to cut down on grunt work in game development; Metal Gear and Death Stranding auteur Hideo Kojima just recently he thinks of AI as a "friend," but one he would only want around to "handle the tedious tasks" of development "that would lower cost and cut down on time." "I think if you go back 10 years ago, that version of Photoshop, you wouldn't want to go back to that version of Photoshop," Howard added. "That's our view on it. But we want to protect the artistry. The human intention of it is what makes our stuff special." Howard and Kojima are both on the moderate end of the spectrum of AI embrace, with other high-level executives like Valve founder Gabe Newell and Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot taking a much more explicitly bullish approach, not to mention giant companies like EA investing eye-watering amounts in full embrace. All things considered, Howard's thoughts on AI seem pretty tame.

'AI Can Speed Up Game Development But Human Intention Is What Makes Our Stuff Special', Says Elder Scrolls & Fallout Dev

Bethesda Game Studios' Head and game director for the Elder Scrolls and Fallout series (as well as Starfield), Todd Howard, recently chimed in on the hottest topic across most industries: the usage of AI. Eurogamer interviewed Howard during a preview event for the second season of Fallout's Amazon Prime Video show, which starts airing on Wednesday, December 17. On that occasion, the veteran developer mused that AI is effectively a tool that can make development go faster, but it won't replace the human intention, which is what really makes Bethesda's games (and great games in general) special. I view it as a tool. Creative intention comes from human artists, number one. But, I think we look at it as a tool for, is there a way we can use it to help us go through some iterations that we do ourselves faster. Not in generating things, but we are always working on our toolset for how we build our worlds or check things. I think if you go back 10 years ago, that version of Photoshop, you wouldn't want to go back to that version of Photoshop. That's our view on it. But we want to protect the artistry. The human intention of it is what makes our stuff special. It's a similar view to that of fellow games industry legend Hideo Kojima, who recently claimed to consider AI as a 'friend' that could perform tedious tasks, thereby boosting efficiency, while he and the rest of his team at Kojima Productions focus on creative tasks. Efficiency is definitely among the top priorities of large, triple-A game developers and publishers nowadays. With the continuous rise of budgets, AI is seen as an essential tool to reduce costs. Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson previously stated that efficiency, expansion, and transformation are the three key areas of innovation that AI amplifies. However, as noted by Todd Howard, its application cannot come at the expense of human creativity. As a side note, Eurogamer also asked Howard about his game of the year, and the Elder Scrolls and Fallout director joined the chorus of creatives and executives who voted for Sandfall Interactive's Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.