- Take-Two has laid off its Head of AI, Luke Dicken, alongside other members of the AI team.
- Employees affected by these layoffs were all working on leveraging AI for game development.
- Take-Two has yet to issue an official statement on these layoffs.
As artificial intelligence rears its generative head in game development, Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of GTA 6 creator Rockstar, has seemingly reshuffled its in-house AI department. The company’s CEO, Strauss Zenlick, previously stated that Take-Two will implement generative AI where efficiency gains can be made. But despite these intentions, T2 has now chosen to lay off its Head of AI, as well as an undisclosed number of employees.
Take-Two Shakes Up AI Department, Lays Off Several Employees
Information about the reshuffle comes from the LinkedIn page of Luke Dicken, who took over as Take-Two’s Head of AI last year.
“It’s truly disappointing that I have to share with you that my time with T2 – and that of my team – has come to an end,” announced Dicken in a recent LinkedIn post. He further added that his team had been “developing cutting-edge technology to support game development now for 7 years.” Take-Two has yet to comment on the layoffs.
Before being hired by T2, Dicken and his team had spent years at Zynga, figuring out the best ways to leverage AI in video game development. Given the industry’s collective push to embrace AI, his dismissal comes as a surprise. That being said, it’s worth noting that Take-Two’s stance on the technology has been more measured than that of other publishers.
While the company has acknowledged potential efficiency gains, its CEO recently stated AI could never develop a game like GTA 6. In fact, Zelick has repeatedly emphasized the need for human creativity to be the primary driver behind game development.
It will be interesting to see how Take-Two’s shareholders respond to these layoffs, especially in light of the CEO’s comments. For the time being, it appears that there is very little AI use in GTA 6.
The timing of these layoffs is also interesting, given the current climate of AI adoption. In the past few weeks alone, we have learned about Capcom’s AI policy, which the company claims will boost productivity and efficiency. We’ve also seen how generative AI can actively degrade the quality of video games, thanks to Nvidia’s DLSS 5 showcase.
The layoffs also come mere months before the highly anticipated release of GTA 6. This isn’t the only recent case of Take-Two trimming its staff either, as its subsidiary, Rockstar, controversially dismissed employees suspected of leaking confidential information back in November. That specific round of layoffs included senior members who had been working on GTA 6 for years, leading to an alleged morale collapse at Rockstar.
So, what are your thoughts on AI usage in game development? Let us know in the comments below.
