Square Enix Will be "Aggressive" in Use of AI in Video Games

The use of AI by companies was one of the great controversies of 2023, and everyone is waiting to see what impact the technology will have on various industries in 2024 and beyond. Most companies have been hesitant to commit to AI so far, but Square Enix's Takashi Kiryu sees a lot of potential for his company moving forward. In a New Year's letter published by the company president, Kiryu noted that "generative AI has the potential not only to reshape what we create, but also to fundamentally change the processes by which we create, including programming." 

"We also intend to be aggressive in applying AI and other cutting-edge technologies to both our content development and our publishing functions. In the short term, our goal will be to enhance our development productivity and achieve greater sophistication in our marketing efforts. In the longer term, we hope to leverage those technologies to create new forms of content for consumers, as we believe that technological innovation represents business opportunities," wrote Kiryu. 

Dumping Crystal Dynamics for AI and Blockchain

On the surface, the announcement isn't all that surprising; when Square Enix sold Crystal Dynamics in May 2022, the company claimed that "the Transaction enables the launch of new businesses by moving forward with investments in fields including blockchain, AI, and the cloud." Square Enix has been mostly quiet on that front ever since, but it appears the publisher is serious about finding ways to take advantage of the technology. What this will mean for franchises like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and other Square Enix IP remains to be seen. 

AI Hesitations

While Square Enix is excited about the potential of AI, many creators are concerned about the impact it will have on video games and other industries. In an interview with IGN last month, The Witcher's Doug Cockle revealed that AI companies have used his voice without permission to train their technology. The Geralt of Rivia voice actor noted that he "can't even police it because I would spend all my time policing this stupid stuff." 

Creators have a legitimate concern that companies are going to use AI to steal their work and use it to replace them with an inferior product. With development costs on AAA games ramping up over the last decade, publishers are going to look for ways to cut corners. Over the last few years, Square Enix has taken losses on AAA games like Marvel's Avengers and Final Fantasy XVI, and it's easy to see why Takashi Kiryu could see AI as a way to rein in spending. It's still far too early to tell what impact all of this is going to have, and how video game fans are going to react if AI starts to gain widespread use. 

How do you feel about AI in video games? Do you think it will lead to better games from Square Enix? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!