PlayStation CEO says AI won't replace humans in game development

AI being used in game development is a controversial subject, to say the least, but PlayStation CEO Hermen Hulst doesn’t think it will ever replace humans in the grand scheme of things.

In a recent report from the BBC, Hulst spoke about AI’s role in gaming and that he believes it has the potential to bring about some revolutionary changes. That being said, he also believes that it “won’t replace the human touch” of games that were made by a team of people.

Games are a work of art. And just like with digital art created by AI, games created using AI won’t have that same sense of depth. AI lacks true human emotion and despite its many advances, it just can’t convey the emotion and passion that went into creating something from nothing. Perhaps part of that boils down to knowing when something was created by AI. Or at least part with it, even if not entirely by it.

Nevertheless, a game created by AI likely wouldn’t have the capacity to deliver raw emotional moments like a game created by human developers would. Think about any games you may have played in the last decade. Specifically about the ones that may have moved you in some way. Humans created those moments. Dreamt them up, potentially out of first-hand experience. And also likely out of, if nothing else, understanding of how those moments feel and how they come about.

All this being said, it doesn’t mean that AI won’t have a place in gaming in the future. That seems pretty clear.

PlayStation boss says there may be a demand for AI in game development

More specifically, Hulst states that he thinks there will be a dual demand in gaming. Speaking with the BBC, he says “I suspect there will be a dual demand in gaming: one for AI-driven innovative experiences and another for handcrafted, thoughtful content.”

It’s that part about “hand-crafted, thoughtful content” that should strike a chord here. Sony’s biggest and most successful games have all been incredibly nuanced. Games filled with moments of action and feeling, top-notch voice acting, and genuinely fun gameplay. Lots of moving parts, so to speak. But all of these aspects were also carefully considered by a team of people. Looking at every angle of a game’s creation.

In playing these games and beating them, you can almost draw a sense of understanding of what the developer was trying to go for. A large section of the gaming industry’s player base has loved these types of games. On the other side of the coin, there are potentially some things that AI might be able to bring to the table that humans cannot. Hulst suspects that there will be a demand for games pushing these boundaries. Utilizing AI in potentially several ways.

It’s no secret that for as many people as there are who despise AI being used in such manners of creation, there are also large numbers of people who embrace it.

There needs to be a balance

Whether we like it or not, AI has become a huge part of technology. It’s not going anywhere. If anything, it’s only becoming more and more intertwined with our everyday lives. This includes AI being used in game creation. Hulst speaks on this point as well. Noting that the industry will need to strike a balance between using AI to create while still retaining that “human touch.”

Thinking of it in this regard, AI could pose some usefulness. Perhaps to automate certain tasks or speed up the process of development. But also without wiping away the human side of things. It’s unclear how or if Sony plans to incorporate AI in major ways with future game development. It seems unlikely that it won’t pop up at all, though.