Stellar Blade’s director says AI can see ‘one person can perform the work of 100 people’ but that won’t wind up in job losses, somehow

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It’s barely January, but the debate around AI in gaming is already heating up. Ubisoft believes AI represents a change as significant as the move to 3D graphics, and it seems like many agree – half of Japanese game developers are already using it. However, not everyone is convinced. Even though Embark Studios, the team behind Arc Raiders, used AI during development, they remain cautious about its overall impact.

Larian Studios, a well-known game developer, recently faced criticism for experimenting with AI-generated art early in the development process. They’ve since stopped using AI for concept art, though they are still exploring its potential in other areas. It’s still unclear how valuable this technology will be for game development in practice, especially when companies aren’t forcing employees to use it or facing resistance from them.

Hyung-tae Kim, the director of Stellar Blade, recently shared his predictions for the future of gaming. He spoke at a government briefing on January 9th – an event led by South Korea’s president – where he discussed how artificial intelligence will likely shape the industry (as reported by Automaton).

According to Kim, the main challenge is competition from Chinese game developers. His studio relies heavily on international sales – about 80% of their revenue comes from outside their home country. He explains (translated from the original language) that while they dedicate around 150 people to developing a single game, Chinese studios often have teams of 1,000 to 2,000 people. This makes it difficult to compete with them in terms of both the quality and amount of content they produce.

Kim argues that adopting AI will allow South Korean game companies to compete with larger international businesses. He believes AI will dramatically increase individual productivity – essentially allowing one person to do the work of a hundred – but surprisingly, won’t lead to job losses. His reasoning is that many South Korean studios are already understaffed, so AI will help level the playing field rather than eliminate jobs.

While AI can definitely help individuals become more productive and will likely automate some jobs, the idea that it will make all developers ten times more efficient isn’t supported by evidence, particularly when looking at the bigger picture.

Honestly, the recent struggles of AI have made the technology seem a lot less impressive. It will probably still be useful for specific tasks, much like procedural generation is, and might even help with coding, though relying too much on ‘intuitive’ coding methods could be problematic. However, these applications are fairly basic and don’t seem like the kind of groundbreaking advancements that would justify large investments, like the ones South Korea is planning for 2026.

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2026-01-14 16:17