Take-Two CEO makes it clear that 'generative AI has zero part' in GTA 6

CEO Strauss Zelnick said in an interview that the worlds which Rockstar Games builds are handcrafted and 'that's what differentiates them'.

Take-Two CEO makes it clear that 'generative AI has zero part' in GTA 6
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Tech Reporter
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TL;DR: Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick confirmed that Grand Theft Auto 6 has not used generative AI in its development at all, emphasizing the game's handcrafted world design, and that this is what differentiates GTA 6. Procedural generation is not involved, and shouldn't be, Zelnick said, observing: "That's what makes great entertainment."

The CEO of Take-Two has clarified that Grand Theft Auto 6 won't use generative AI for any of its development.

Strauss Zelnick, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Take-Two (Image Credit: Take-Two)
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Strauss Zelnick, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Take-Two (Image Credit: Take-Two)

Chief executive Strauss Zelnick was talking a lot about AI in an interview with Gamesindustry.biz (via Eurogamer), where he enthused about Take-Two being a 'leader in the space'.

Zelnick said:

"This company's products have always been built with machine learning and artificial intelligence. We've actually always been a leader in the space, and right now we have hundreds of pilots and implementations across our company, including within our studios. And we're already seeing instances where generative AI tools are driving costs and time efficiencies."

However, in case anyone is immediately going to leap to conclusions about AI poking its nose into the code, or design, of GTA 6, Zelnick makes it clear that this certainly isn't the case.

The CEO noted:

"Specifically with regards to GTA 6, Generative AI has zero part in what Rockstar Games is building. Their worlds are handcrafted. That's what differentiates them. They're built from the ground up, building by building, street by street, neighborhood by neighborhood. They're not procedurally generated, they shouldn't be. That's what makes great entertainment."

Zelnick was speaking before Take-Two's Q3 fiscal results, following a drop in the share price of multiple major gaming outfits, Take-Two included, after Google showed off Project Genie and its AI-generated 3D worlds.

It's not the first time Zelnick has talked about AI in relation to Rockstar's heavyweight franchise, and indeed he was skeptical regarding the potential role of AI in a future Grand Theft Auto 7 in an interview back in October 2025.

GTA 6 is still on course for its November 19 release date this year (after notable delays), and Zelnick said that he remains confident in that launch timeframe.