CEO of Arc Raiders publisher Nexon insists every game company is now using AI

Nexon CEO Junghun Lee has said it’s “important to assume” that every game company is now using AI after the controversial technology was used in the creation of Arc Raiders, prompting backlash.

The details:

• In an interview with Game*Spark (via Automaton), Lee emphasized that the use of generative AI has become industry-standard practice, stating that "it's important to assume that every game company is now using AI." He added that with AI technology becoming commonplace across the industry, game developers must focus on "strategies that increase competitiveness," suggesting that human creativity will become the key differentiator for studios seeking to stand out in an increasingly AI-saturated market.
• Lee's comments are in response to widespread criticism of Arc Raiders' use of AI tools, specifically the game's adoption of text-to-speech technology for voice acting. Lee stated that AI has increased efficiency in both game production and live service operations, a view shared by Arc Raiders developer Embark Studios, which explained that text-to-speech technology has made it simple to add and remove new in-game content without recording more voice lines each time.
• Game design director Virgil Watkins told PCGamesN last month that generative AI is not used in any way in Arc Raiders. Studio CCO Stefan Strandberg echoed this, explaining that machine learning was used in the game's development "to assist in some content creation, but it's always in the context of creativity, as an expression of the team."