Take-Two boss: AI won't replace human creativity behind hits

When Google unveiled a new look at its experimental Project Genie generative AI tool earlier this year, AAA game companies — including Grand Theft Auto publisher Take-Two Interactive — saw their stock prices dip. Strauss Zelnick said he was stunned by the market’s reaction and argued that creation tools are beneficial for the industry.

He dismissed the idea that AI will let anyone churn out hits. Tools might speed asset creation, Zelnick said, but whether you push a button or spend six weeks, at the end of the day you simply have an asset. Thousands of mobile games are launched every year, and only a handful become hits.

Zelnick acknowledged AI can produce assets that look like NBA 2K, EA Sports FC or Red Dead Redemption, but creating a franchise-level hit is a different animal and requires human engagement and creativity.

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