Dan Houser appeared on a UK talk show and reiterated that his studio, Absurd Ventures is “dabbling in using AI” for its first video game while also cautioning that the technology is not a silver bullet. He said the game team “began work on that about 18 months ago, and that’ll be another few years in development,” and stressed that some AI claims from other companies are overblown. The appearance followed Houser’s recent public outings to promote his new novel set in the studio’s A Better Paradise universe. That book runs with themes of super-intelligent AI and ties into Absurd Ventures’ planned games. Houser kept the timeline blunt and familiar to long development cycles when he said the project still needs time before it reaches players.
On AI, Houser delivered the sort of technocynical shrug gamers have heard before. He said, “we are dabbling in using AI, but the truth is a lot of it’s not as useful as some of the companies would have you believe yet,” and added, “They will claim it can solve every single problem, and it really can’t yet.” He also noted that many computing processes are already automated, and some AI is simply being sold as transformational while other aspects are genuinely promising. Houser used a plain example to explain where the technology stands in games. He described the usual developer curve where the first 80 percent of a task can be achieved reasonably quickly and the final 20 percent, the thing that makes a simulation feel perfect, is the time sink. “It’ll be interesting to see, that last bit, how hard it is for AI, which learns in a different way to normal computing development, and how quick that is or isn’t,” he said.
Those comments arrive as other companies publicly reposition themselves around AI. Krafton recently said it is becoming an AI-first company, and EA has a partnership with Stability AI to build tools for artists and designers. At the same time, some studios have drawn criticism for using generative systems to produce voice lines and in-game artwork, a debate Houser’s remarks feed into without taking an absolutist view. For context on Houser’s departure from Rockstar and the wider fallout that has followed GTA coverage, see the GTA 6 development report which outlines the franchise’s recent development turbulence and some studio exits.
Houser also touched on whether the games industry is drifting toward profit before art. He said commercial pressure exists and can pull projects toward business aims, but he argued there is still “a big ceiling creatively to make these kinds of living narrative experiences” and that both commercial and creative approaches have room to win.
You can view Houser’s segment directly on Channel 4, though a free account is required to watch.
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