Embracer unveils its "human-centric" AI-powered game development ambitions

[midian182]

A hot potato: Embracer Group, the conglomerate that owns several studios and IPs, including The Lord of the Rings, has just revealed its plans for using AI in game development. It's a contentious subject at the best of times, so it's causing even more controversy in light of Embracer laying off more than 1,500 employees and canceling 80 games over the past year. The company did emphasize, however, that it is taking a "human-centric" approach to this AI policy.

Embracer Group said in its annual report that AI has the "capability to massively enhance game development by increasing resource efficiency" and "adding intelligent behaviors, personalization, and optimization to gameplay experiences."

Embracer notes in a portion of the company's Risk and Mitigation Overview section that "by leveraging AI, we create more engaging and immersive experiences that provide each player with a unique, dynamic, and personalized experience. We also see great opportunities for AI in game development speed, logistics and planning."

From Embracer Group's report

There's also a warning that the company understands the potential risks associated with the use of AI. That's a reference to it producing unethical, biased, discriminatory, or completely wrong results. There's also the backlash firms face for using the technology, and the prospect of more jobs being replaced by AI.

Many companies fear that not going all-in on AI, even when it isn't a good fit for a firm, is bad business. "Certainly, one of the major risks for a company is not to use AI, as this would mean a competitive disadvantage vis-à-vis other industry players," Embracer privacy and AI governance head Tomas Hedman said. "Most companies will move forward on AI integration in different ways. For us, it is the way that we do this that is the most critical element."

Will this AI policy result in more job losses? Hedman says Embracer wants to empower people with AI, not replace them, adding that it is taking a "human-centric" approach to leveraging its potential. He then talks about using AI to assist creative teams with "scriptwriting, image creation, idea generation, quality control, and more," all of which sound like jobs that humans currently do.

Another game company singing the praises of AI is Electronic Arts. CEO Andrew Wilson said earlier this year that it is set to make EA 30% more efficient while boosting monetization by 20% over the next five years. He also thinks it will convince players to spend 10-20% more money on its games too, due to "real personalized content, bespoke to me and bespoke to my friends."

Embracer Group and its employees haven't been having the best time since a $2 billion deal reported to be with Saudi government-funded company Savvy Games Group fell through last year. It led to Saints Row developer Volition and Timesplitters dev Free Radical Design shutting down, the sale of Borderlands creator Gearbox to Take-Two for $460 million, and many unannounced games being canceled, including a new Deus Ex title that had been in development for two years.

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Embracer unveils its "human-centric" AI-powered game development ambitions

 

[NumberNine]

Yes, the plan centers on making money for a specific group of humans by replacing the work of another group of humans with generative output.
Human Centric AI.

 

[OortCloud]

Wow I filled my business bulsh1t bingo card on one article. Everything they say is the worst kind of corporate double-speak. Who do they think take comments like that seriously?

 

[toooooot]

We will fire a lot of people because Ai will replace them, and then will hire a small amount of people because we are human centric. It just sounds shameful. It is like a person lying in your face. You know he is lying, he knows you know too. A lie that should make uncomfortable both parties. It does not, unfortunately, human-ai-centric my a**.

 

[Shaitan]

Well, one thing's certain for me: I will NOT buy anything created by Embracer group.

 

[OortCloud]

Embracer killed Volition, creator of the spectacular Freespace 1 and 2. I hate them for that already, this article really hasn't helped.

 

[kiwigraeme]

Wow I filled my business bulsh1t bingo card on one article. Everything they say is the worst kind of corporate double-speak. Who do they think take comments like that seriously?

many politicians and to say degree companies should meet "The Pub Test"

Would you have a beer with them, could you have a conversation with them

Luxon the current PM of NZ , you could have a beer with him , but people make mark him low as they feel he won't really listen.
John Key would have scored much higher.
Obama would do ok , Bill and Bush probably OK Bill would be more charming , but full of himself
Weird thing Trump should score very low - as he has no interest in you , only your transactional value and seeing your grovelling and fawning - But he is popular as apparently the voice for those he seeks to screw over with his corporate backers
Biden - don't know much about , but should be OK , talk about your dog , kids - seems more real than a cartoon Trump
Dems, we are smart , we know best for you and don't need to listen to deplorables
GOP we are decisive, represent law, order and business and good old family values , while not coming of as self serving greedy pigs , with no morals

Companies should pass the pub test as well, still need to seems professional , not appear fake or condescending, Given that people are gullible Cokes Image vs Reality , Apple selling that BS we are the little guy fighting the good fight and our phones are very exclusive and make you special ( think iSheep knew it was mostly BS and appealed to their base nature early on to flaunt their new shiny )

For a company big enough to laid of 1500 workers this statement is so bad is a primer in 2024 how not to do it.

One big advantage of Trump in modern politics as appears no 101 press, communication people between him and the voters ie people can hear his message directly not massaged, respond on X , Truth Social and feel they are being listened to, plus add that with endless road tours where he can talk about hannibal lector and sharks vs electrocution

 

[Shaitan]

Embracer killed Volition, creator of the spectacular Freespace 1 and 2. I hate them for that already, this article really hasn't helped.

Embracer killed Volition after forcing them to do a woke game.
Not that Volition didn't deserver this ****: they trolled the potential buyers, with the same "if you don't like don't buy it","You are misogynistic racist trolls" and so on.
How did THAT work for them?
Can't wait to see:
- EA Games
- Activision Games (ahem, Microsoft Games)
- Ubisoft
burn to the ground this year.
I have 200 games on Steam just waiting to be played. Apart from that, I'll try some indie stuff and the future anything from Kojima's Death Stranding, CDPR's Witcher/Cyberpunk or FromSoftware's Elden Ring single-player games which DO NOT require always-online, MTX and payable sh!t.
Let's see how deep their wallets are. My patience run deeper than companies' wallets!