Take-Two Interactive chief executive Strauss Zelnick confirmed that generative AI is not being used in Grand Theft Auto 6 during an interview with GamesIndustry.biz. Zelnick said the technology has no role in what Rockstar Games is building and emphasized the studio’s approach to world design. “Specifically with regards to GTA 6, Generative AI has zero part in what Rockstar Games is building. Their worlds are handcrafted. That’s what differentiates them,” he said.
The CEO also qualified his view on the tools more broadly. He described himself as enthusiastic about practical uses of generative AI for saving time and money, but said he does not believe the systems can produce great entertainment on their own.
Take-Two addressed other release details alongside Zelnick’s comments. The company confirmed in its quarterly earnings report that Grand Theft Auto 6 will have a physical release and that marketing is scheduled to begin this summer. The game remains on track for release on November 19 despite earlier delays. The discussion arrives as generative AI use in games continues to draw industry attention. Strauss Zelnick framed Rockstar’s development process as deliberately hands-on and driven by human-crafted content rather than automated generation.
But would you believe this is true? Like, there’s no way the game doesn’t use any type of generative AI. Seriously. If you ask me, I’d rather be skeptical about this than have full-on trust in his statement, because generative AI in games, especially like GTA 6, can make a huge difference in terms of content. There must be something related to it, and I doubt this is true.
Comment on whether Rockstar’s choice to keep GTA 6 worlds handcrafted matters for the final game experience.
