The co-director of The Last of Us has opened up about generative AI and its use in game development, and he's not a fan. The Last of Us' co-director is just the latest game developer to discuss the subject of AI and its place (or lack thereof) in game development.
To say that generative AI is a controversial topic would be putting it lightly. Numerous concerns regarding AI exist, including the ethics surrounding the use of internet-based material for training purposes, concerns over high energy use and overall resource consumption, and of course, the potential for the loss of jobs in nearly all sectors. Proponents of the technology have stated that it can help to save time and cut down on grindy busywork, while other companies have simply gone ahead and used AI-produced artwork in lieu of hiring real artists. Now, Bruce Straley has weighed in.
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The Last of Us Co-Director Criticizes AI
Bruce Straley, who served as co-director on the original The Last of Us, has shared his opinions about generative AI and its place in game development. Speaking with Polygon, Straley described AI as a "snake eating its own tail" that can't grow or think, and merely mimics what it was trained on. Straley clearly appreciates art that comes from an artist, rather than a machine, saying that "I like art that has chips and flaws.... It has imperfections... That's the cool stuff about art." He noted that it's not impossible for AI to improve, and noted that it might be possible for something like a LLM to produce "something compelling," but immediately added that he's not interested in it, stating "I feel like without a human being the creation [sic], I personally have zero investment in wanting to watch a TV show made by a robot. I have zero interest in looking at art that is generated by a computer." He also shot down the idea of "generative AI artists," adding, "I don't think prompting is art," referring to the act of using an AI to convert a text prompt into an image.
Straley, who left Naughty Dog in 2017 and is currently working on new game Coven of the Chicken Foot, also expressed frustration at generative AI getting mixed up with gaming AI in the traditional sense of the term. In his new game, the programming is set up so that the main character's companion learns based upon how players act. However, it does not make use of machine learning or LLMs at all. Now that the term "AI" has become so closely tied exclusively to LLMs and generative AI, "it's difficult to even pitch the concept of this creature... I can't now call this creature the most advanced AI companion. People are going to think we did machine learning, and LLMs, and all that. No, we did none of that."
The Last of Us' co-director's opinions mirror that of several other gaming industry professionals who have spoken on the matter. However, the concept of using AI in the gaming industry has received wildly ranging responses from gamers, developers, and even distribution platforms. Gamers have openly objected to the use of AI in games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and ARC Raiders, and even the recent news that Larian would use generative AI in development was slammed by players. In terms of developers, many have expressed worry over the risk of losing their jobs due to companies potentially deciding to replace positions by using AI instead. Additionally, Steam, the biggest PC gaming distribution platform, has required game developers to indicate if they used generative AI, which drew backlash from the Epic Games CEO.
On the other hand, not everyone is against AI in gaming. A God of War developer defended its use, Capcom has been experimenting with AI, Subnautica 2 publisher Krafton has dubbed itself an "AI-first company," and both Xbox and PlayStation have reportedly been exploring including AI in their consoles and services. Some of these have faced backlash from gamers or developers, however, with EA devs reportedly unhappy about having to use AI in their jobs. For now, there's no single consensus, and game development is likely to continue seeing an increase in its use, unless it either proves unhelpful or too expensive to be worth utilizing.
The Last of Us Part I
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 82 /100 Critics Rec: 76%
- Released
- September 2, 2022
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Naughty Dog
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
