Amazon Games CEO thinks genAI can help make better ideas for games

Executives at game studios have high hopes for generative AI and what it could mean for game development. In Christoph Hartmann’s case, that technology may help the industry get out of its creative rut.

Talking to IGN, the Amazon Games CEO said he hopes genAI can lead to new gameplay ideas. To him, its usage “has nothing to do with taking work away from anyone,” and would be extremely helpful in ensuring the industry doesn’t “get boring.”

With games competing for oxygen against so many things, like social media, Hartmann thinks a reinvention is vital. At the same time, he says genAI isn’t a magical fix, but can at the very least, foster fresh collaboration and shorter (but maybe still-costly) development times.

“We as an industry definitely have to innovate on many levels to develop faster and also be willing to take more risks,” he stated. “If [genAI] takes anything, it’ll be the boring parts.”

What counts as “boring”? According to him, localization is another area where the technology could be “super helpful,” especially in countries that don’t get localization priority.

A survey from earlier this week revealed 30 percent of developers asked share Hartmann’s hope that genAI can lower budgets. At the same time, 8 percent find it will make games more expensive, while 20 percent doubt it will have an effect either way.

Meanwhile, its creative merits have higher scrutiny. 35 percent of developers think genAI could lead to lower-quality titles, and Good Afternoon’s Sarah Brin believes the technology is a creative dead zone.

Even as he advocates for genAI’s integration into game development, Hartmann affirmed his faith in the “uniqueness” of human creativity, even as “the machine gets very close” to parity.

“There’s always something special. Humans will always be one step ahead. […] I don’t think genAI will be able to translate those unique things into fresh ideas. If you find it designing games, the game’s going to be all the same.”

Hartmann’s full interview with IGN, which covers its future plans as a publisher, can be read here.