Artificial intelligence tools are expected to change the games industry, but some developers like Fallout creator Tim Cain believe AI offers unique opportunities for smaller teams.
AI, especially generative AI, is accelerating at a rapid clip. Big publishers like Electronic Arts are going all-in on generative AI and plan to use it to revolutionize creator content. Others, like Microsoft's Xbox games division, will use it to help craft stories. But it seems like AI is being used by many parts of the industry right now, whether overtly or behind closed doors.
This level of disruption is common in the tech industry, and innovations in software development are also prevalent through iterations of games engines like Unreal. In a recent video, Fallout creator Tim Cain discussed his thoughts on how technology like AI will change jobs and how games are made.
So what does the game dev veteran think about AI? It could be used to empower smaller teams to do big things, or bigger things.
"Historically, it's been hard to predict how technology is going to change jobs. I will attempt to do so.
"I think we're going to see bigger, more complex games made by smaller teams. Because AI will let them do some things that previously required large teams or specialist people on those teams.
"By the way, for all of you who think this is a bad thing, it's an opportunity--this is an opportunity.
"You'll be able to make, as a small indie developer, things that can only be made right now by huge publishers with hundreds of people on the team, if not thousands.
"So this is an opportunity that I think is coming down the pipe. I just wanted to say that's my prediction. The jobs are still going to be there, I think they'll just be slightly different jobs."