Game Concept Artists Claim GenAI Isn’t Simplifying Their Work
Generative AI has sparked intense debate in the gaming industry over the past few years, with studios divided on its use. Recently, Larian’s CEO Swen Vincke stirred the pot by revealing that their developers utilize generative AI for brainstorming game concepts, creating concept art, generating placeholder text, and even for presentations. After some backlash, he clarified that the studio is actually expanding its team of artists rather than cutting back. Vincke acknowledged that Larian employs AI for tasks that are often less desirable, but the question remains: does AI, even in the early stages of concept art, benefit actual concept artists?
Several concept artists have expressed that it can complicate their work. In a discussion with Edmond Tran from This Week In Video Games, artists shared that AI tools can hinder their creative process. Paul Scott Canavan, an experienced artist known for his work on titles like Destiny 2 and Netflix’s The Witcher, noted, “I’m seeing more and more clients generate something close to what they want and essentially ask me to create ‘something like this.’ It undermines the entire creative process and makes my job more challenging and frustrating. An illustrator’s role is to leverage their experience to interpret a brief creatively.”
Freelance designer Kim Hu, who led the art for Rollerdrome, echoed these sentiments, stating that starting with AI-generated images “robs you of discovery,” as it tends to deliver exactly what was requested. She emphasized that drawing inspiration from the real world and references fosters creativity and can lead to unexpected ideas, which are crucial for concept and world-building.
An anonymous senior concept artist from a major game developer shared that studio leadership now expects them to use AI-generated references. This often involves “reverse engineering” the components of these images and sourcing real-world references for elements like hairstyles and props. They expressed a sense of responsibility to provide usable references for their colleagues, stating, “When I’m assembling a design package for a 3D artist, they need actual references instead of wasting time figuring out the AI output. I feel accountable to my team—this is a standard part of my job.”
The implementation of AI has created a divide in the industry, with some studio leaders eager to embrace it. For instance, Netflix was on the lookout for an AI leader for its gaming division last fall, and earlier this year, Microsoft made a significant investment in AI, acknowledging that this technology could lead to job losses.
