CD Projekt is wary of generative AI, is not using gen AI to make The Witcher 4

CD Projekt isn't developing generative AI tools to make new games like The Witcher 4.

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AI is growing and growing--OpenAI just raised another $40 billion, leading to a $300 billion valuation--and it seems like everyone plans to use it in some way. The tech sector in particular is leveraging AI in various ways behind the scenes, with Microsoft even going so far as to create a tool that can render a third-person shooter in real-time without a developer's help.

Generative AI is on the forefront and poses many possibilities and risks for the games industry. But not everyone is on board, and Polish developer CD Projekt isn't ready to go all-in on this kind of AI.

In a recent Q&A with investors and analysts, CD Projekt co-CEO Michal Nowakowski says that there's no plans to use gen AI in games and that the team isn't currently developing such tools either.

BNP Paribas analyst Nicola Langley: Can you update us regarding the development, deployment and use of generative AI tools within your development process? As a concrete example, do you plan to use any type of gen AI tools for which of our development?

CD Projekt co-CEO Michal Nowakowski: So I think we mentioned before that last year we set up a team that's investigating the potential use of AI solutions in our future products, including development of our own customized AI models. We have several research projects underway.

However, they are really not necessarily focusing on generative AI. Gen AI, to be honest, is quite, is quite tricky when it comes to legal IP ownership and so on and many other aspects.

So when it comes to implementation of any Gen AI in the actual games, we really have nothing--there's nothing happening when it comes to Witcher 4 or any projects in the near future. I mean, should the legal status of that change, we may look at it, but there's nothing happening with Gen AI specifically. There's various other tools we're looking at or using, but not Gen AI-oriented so much.