Blizzard representatives decided to present their position on AI at Gamescom. It turns out that the top studio does not want to replace people with new technology, but at the same time he is happy to reach for it.
Ai is needed, but he won’t take your job!
For several years, it has been talked about what competition will disappear, because their representatives will take AI. However, it turns out that so far the new technology rather supports employees and does not take their employment. The proof of this is how it is used in Blizzard.
Gabriel Gonzalez, chief visual artist World of Warcraftduring Gamescom, he explained that Blizzard reaches for AI, but mainly in the work for which the human employee lost a lot of time:
Artificial intelligence helps us, for example, matching helmets to characters with different heads, corners or ears. This is tedious work, and thanks to AI our artists can focus on what is really creative.
Maria Hamilton, a co -director of the project, looks at the case in a similar way World of Warcraftwho claims that artificial intelligence will not take the work of creative people:
The stories that move players must be written by people. They refer to real emotions and experiences.
Aaron Keller, director Overwatch 2summed up all this:
We do not use AI to create character or gameplay. Blizzard is known for handmade worlds and we put all our energy and passion. For us, it is more important that everything is refined to the smallest details than to do something as soon as possible.
Gonzalez in the debate emphasized that the new technology can help creative people: they will simply help them in tedious and boring works – the point is that talented people do not have to do boring, repetitive things.
And it just doesn’t work?
Or maybe Blizzard’s narrative has a second bottom? In spring, the company released a widely criticized patch to World of Warcraft. At that time, it was said that he willingly uses AI. So has an experiment with artificial intelligence failed and now the company is taking a step back?
Ai certainly changes how we work, but will not deprive us of work. At least in the next few years.
