Witcher 4 and Cyberpunk 2 Director Doubts AI Can Replace Industry Talent, Says It Won’t Create The Witcher 5

Michał Nowakowski, co-CEO of CD Projekt, recently addressed concerns about AI potentially leading to job cuts during a Q3 2025 earnings webcast. When asked about the impact of AI on workforce size, particularly in light of reports suggesting that AI is making many roles redundant, Nowakowski firmly disagreed.

During the investor audio session, a participant inquired whether AI tools could help reduce headcount without sacrificing quality. “Given the numerous reports about AI making many people redundant, how would you describe the current availability of IT talent at your studios? Can you foresee a scenario where AI tools could allow for a reduction in headcount without negatively affecting your upcoming projects?”

Nowakowski appeared momentarily surprised by the question, initially unclear if it pertained to IT roles or game developers. “We’re not really hiring ‘classic IT,'” he clarified. “But I understand this is about gaming industry talent – the availability of talent has perhaps increased a bit over the past three years, but I wouldn’t necessarily attribute that to AI.”

He also challenged the notion that layoffs in the gaming sector are primarily due to AI advancements, instead linking them to project cancellations. “To be perfectly honest,” he stated, “some studios have faced turmoil; there have been project closures, which have led to many redundancies in the gaming industry. It’s been quite dramatic in many cases, but I can’t recall a single instance where it was directly attributable to AI. At least, I’m not aware of that. And as for reducing headcount thanks to AI – I don’t envision that.”

However, this doesn’t imply that CD Projekt is against utilizing AI. Nowakowski acknowledged the technology’s “meaningful” and “real” benefits, but he emphasized that it won’t replace human developers. “Our use of AI is primarily in productivity areas, where we see the most significant advantages. The benefits are real and meaningful, but it’s not a scenario – and I’m not aware of such a scenario – where AI could ‘sit down and make games.’ That’s our perspective. It doesn’t mean it won’t be useful, but it’s not going to create The Witcher 5, or 6, or anything like that.”

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