Square Enix has announced plans to automate the majority of its quality assurance and debugging work using generative AI, aiming to have the controversial technology handle 70% of its tasks by the end of 2027.
The details:
- As part of its latest progress report on its medium-term business plan, Square Enix Reboots and Awakens, the publisher confirmed that it had entered a partnership with the Matsuo-Iwasawa Laboratory at the University of Tokyo, which aims to improve “game development efficiency through AI technologies.”
- The small team made up of researchers and Square Enix engineers, dubbed the “Joint Development of Game QA Automation Technology Using Generative AI,” is now working to “automate 70% of QA and debugging tasks in game development by the end of 2027.” The company says it will "aim to improve the efficiency of QA operations and establish a competitive advantage in game development" through automation technology.
- The move has sparked debate within the gaming industry, with concerns raised about potential job losses and whether AI can match human testers' ability to spot and describe in-game issues. Last month, it was reported that EA is allegedly pressuring its employees to use AI tools for "just about everything.” In the report, a former Respawn QA tester suspected that they had been let go from the studio due to the efficiency of AI during testing.
