Krafton's AI-Driven Vision: A Glimpse into the Future of Game Development

Krafton, the Korean publisher behind popular games like PUBG: Battlegrounds and Inzoi, has announced its transition to an AI-first company, prioritizing artificial intelligence as a central means of problem-solving. This strategic shift will involve a significant reorganization and a substantial investment of 100 billion Korean won in a new GPU cluster. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, the directors of PUBG and Inzoi shared their perspectives on Krafton's AI-driven vision and its potential impact on the gaming industry. Taehyun Kim, director of PUBG: Battlegrounds, revealed that Krafton offers a range of AI tools to its studios, but does not mandate their use. Instead, the studios are encouraged to explore and adopt AI solutions that enhance their development processes. Kim noted that PUBG Studios utilizes AI for code reviews, leveraging its capabilities to identify errors and improve overall efficiency. However, the studio does not rely on AI for code generation, emphasizing the importance of human oversight and review. In contrast, the developers behind Inzoi, a life-simulation game, have fully embraced AI, using it to create concept art and enable players to mod the game by importing their own assets. Hyungjun 'Kjun' Kim, director of Inzoi, highlighted the benefits of AI in facilitating player creativity and providing new tools for game development. While acknowledging concerns about AI replacing human developers, Kjun emphasized that AI is intended to augment and support human capabilities, rather than replace them. The use of AI in Inzoi has sparked controversy, with some players expressing concerns about the ethics of training data and the potential for AI to replace human developers. However, Kjun assured that all AI models in Inzoi are trained on internal data, addressing concerns about data ownership and permissions. As Krafton continues to invest in its AI-first approach, the company's gamble on an AI-driven future will be closely watched by the gaming industry. With the full release of Inzoi still on the horizon, it remains to be seen whether the game's audience will come to accept and appreciate the integration of AI in game development.