Swedish video game and media holding company Embracer Group has adopted a new AI policy, leveraging models to "massively enhance" development. The company hopes this will produce more immersive, engaging games, offering players a "unique, dynamic, and personalised experience".
Noted by Game Developer, Embracer announced the new initiative in its annual report. The firm says it knows the risks involved with the speculative technology but that the benefits outweigh them: "We see great opportunities for AI in game development speed, logistics, and planning. Embracer Group also understands the potential risks associated with the use of AI. [It] can also be used within areas such as logistics or HR to improve planning, decision-making, support talent acquisition and enhance employee experiences or retention."
Embracer claims this adoption will "empower" developers under its umbrella to create "more powerful experiences in the same amount of time". Further, the firm says it doesn't want to replace its remaining employees, going so far as to suggest this move will actually open the door for new hires: "It's not just that AI enables our developers to do even more and to become more efficient on certain tasks, it will also open up coding to a broader group of developers. Entry into the industry might be easier for individuals with disabilities who, for instance, cannot use a keyboard as easily as others."
According to Embracer's head of privacy and AI governance, Tomas Hedman, the company's "risk-aware approach" towards the tech is all about being aware of the pitfalls. He then lists why adopting an AI policy might cause future headaches for the company: "AI may also produce unethical, biased, discriminatory, or completely wrong results if it has not been properly trained, instructed, or used for purposes it was not designed. Additionally, AI-generated material is not patentable or copyrightable, meaning we must understand how the material is produced, especially by third parties, since such material may produce serious copyright or intellectual property issues with the final product."