Artificial intelligence has triggered a "civil war" within the gaming industry, according to an academic who warns that some developers should be concerned that "AI slop will eat their lunch."
Professor Julian Togelius, a computer science expert and Director of the NYU Game Innovation Lab, told the Daily Star about the conflict between developers over the use of the technology.
"The game industry is currently in something like a civil war between AI enthusiasts and AI haters, who think generative AI is theft and a threat to their livelihoods," he said.
AI slop worsens market flood
Professor Noah Wardrip-Fruin of the Computational Media department at the University of California said the creation of "AI slop" games has only added to the problems in an already crowded market.
"The market is already flooded with games. AI slop will make this worse. And unfortunately it will make it worse precisely for the kinds of indie developers who already have trouble with 'discovery' of their games," he told the Daily Star.
Prof Togelius said these AI games could affect developers, with some likely to be hit harder than others.
"If you make low-effort derivative games, I think you should be very worried about AI slop games eating your lunch. If you are making original, polished, ambitious games, you need not worry," he said.
Legal 'Wild West'
Prof Togelius added that AI has not only flooded the market but has also turned parts of the industry into the "Wild West."
"The legal situation around generative AI is kind of Wild West at the moment. We simply lack court cases to determine the legality of much of what goes on at the moment, and it's going to take years," he said.
Professor Daniela Romano, of Artificial Intelligence & Games and Director of the Institute of Artificial Intelligence at De Montfort University, outlined the complex legal questions AI has raised.
"Because AI systems can be trained on content created in different countries and distributed globally, questions around copyright, ownership, licensing and liability become increasingly complex," she told the Star.
"The legal framework is still evolving, creating uncertainty for both developers and creators who want to use AI responsibly while protecting intellectual property rights."
Focus on new game types
Despite the ongoing "civil war" between AI enthusiasts and critics, Prof Togelius said he is excited to see how new technological innovations could change the gaming industry.
"I empathize with both sides. But I think the productive thing to do is to focus on the new types of games we could invent," he said.
Prof Romano believes the boom in AI will benefit both players and developers, suggesting the technology could reduce development time and lead to more unique and immersive games.
"For developers, the use of AI can reduce development time and allow teams to focus on creativity and the gaming experience rather than repetitive production tasks. For players, it can lead to more immersive, engaging, and personalised experiences, where gameplay feels unique and replicability is significantly increased," she said.
