The right to utilize AI in creation should belong to the ones with their jobs on the line, in the name of workers rights, not as a replacement

In a moment where I do not have much time to spare, and likely an idea that is deserving of a much larger article, I was bemoaning the idea of how insane video game release schedules are….not just as an eclectic gamer with a myriad of tastes and a tight wallet, but for the gaming devs that have to work around the clock to get them out the door in time. Whether it’s a big team being pushed to the limits in an excessive last minute crunch, or a super small team just trying to make ends meat with limited resources, the gaming industry is back breakingly brutal to everyone involved.

However, and in spite of that, the answer is not AI, at least, not in the name of replacing workers, but only in the name of helping lighten the load, and only in the hands of devs as a last resort. I think it’s safe to say any reasonable person wants to support people within the industry, in terms of giving money to products to support developers, sane work schedules to not stress out workers, and job security so people don’t have to worry about losing their jobs and have a reliable gig to financially depend on. That’s why I advocate that if AI is ever used in game development, it should only be used at the behest of the team working on the project and in accordance with developer looking to lighten a heavy worker load to maintain a deadline and not at the cost of workers well being.

We don’t need more cookie cutter experiences rushed to market, more uninspired games filled with AI slop, and we don’t need more studio shuttering from publishers unhappy with unreasonable bottom lines, and taking out their irrational ire of irregular profit margins on hard working creators to justify the use of AI in game development. What we need is more safety for workers through contracts, more unionizing to protect developer rights, and a much bigger focus to give them the tools they need to succeed. If that turns out, in a last minute effort to avoid insane crunch that would affect the well being of their workers, that the devs in charge decide to streamline final touches with AI, that should be their call, and the final say on AI should always be left to the developers discretion.

At the end of the day, AI should help facilitate an efficient work load in the name of helping workers, not replacing them, and the entire gaming industry would be better off with this mentality moving forward.

-Pashford