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+--- Thread: News - Palworld Dev On AI: “Gamers Don’t Want It” (/thread-104206.html)
News - Palworld Dev On AI: “Gamers Don’t Want It” - xSicKxBot - 06-23-2026
News - Palworld Dev On AI: “Gamers Don’t Want It”
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<p class="wp-block-paragraph">John Buckley, the outspoken communications lead for Palworld developer Pocketpair, has commented on the hot-button issue of AI in gaming.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.gamesradar.com/games/survival/gamers-dont-want-it-palworld-lead-says-pocketpair-doesnt-touch-ai-because-players-hate-it-and-artists-like-doing-stuff-themselves/" id="https://www.gamesradar.com/games/survival/gamers-dont-want-it-palworld-lead-says-pocketpair-doesnt-touch-ai-because-players-hate-it-and-artists-like-doing-stuff-themselves/">Speaking to GamesRadar</a>, Buckley said, "Gamers don't want it. And if the gamers don't want it, I guess that's it, right? Not much of a conversation to be had."</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Using AI technologies for game development is "not really for us," Buckley said. </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">He went on to say he understands some companies are employing AI systems to help save time. Buckley said he wouldn't call the AI craze a "bubble," but he's not sure "how much longer it's going to keep up."</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">For games that use AI to make art, Buckley said he questions why a studio would do that. "There's no reason to get rid of [our in-house artists] for the sake of an AI doing it. Just seems pointless," he said.</p>
<figure data-wp-interactive="core/image" data-wp-context="{ "core": { "image": { "initialized": true } } }" class="wp-block-image size-large"><img data-ref-id="1796668" data-wp-on--click="actions.core.image.showLightbox" style="cursor: zoom-in" height="576" width="1024" src="https://www.gamespot.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/palworld_78f21a.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1796668" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Pocketpair is not embracing AI.</figcaption></figure>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Finally, Buckley said one "dystopian" future he can see for games and AI and is that studios would label their games "100% human made" to help people know if AI tools were used in development. Buckley said the prospect of such a thing makes him sad. </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Today, developers can disclose the use of generative AI on Steam, but it is not a requirement. Tim Sweeney, the billionaire CEO and owner of Epic Games and the Epic Games Store, has pushed back on the Steam AI disclosure section of a game's store page. He said this<a href="https://x.com/TimSweeneyEpic/status/1993687499621728312" id="https://x.com/TimSweeneyEpic/status/1993687499621728312"> "makes no sense"</a> because virtually all games use AI in some way, shape, or form.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Steam's AI disclosure section helped make headlines recently after people discovered two games from Summer Game Fest, <a href="https://www.gamespot.com/articles/crazy-taxi-world-tour-uses-generative-ai-sega-reveals/" id="https://www.gamespot.com/articles/crazy-taxi-world-tour-uses-generative-ai-sega-reveals/">Crazy Taxi: World Tour</a> and <a href="https://www.gamespot.com/articles/heres-how-generative-ai-is-being-used-in-tomb-raider-legacy-of-atlantis/" id="https://www.gamespot.com/articles/heres-how-generative-ai-is-being-used-in-tomb-raider-legacy-of-atlantis/">Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis</a>, used AI in development. </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Earlier this year, new data from Circana showed that <a href="https://www.gamespot.com/articles/genai-in-games-most-players-just-dont-care-study-finds/1100-6538972/" id="https://www.gamespot.com/articles/genai-in-games-most-players-just-dont-care-study-finds/1100-6538972/">most gamers do not care about the use of generative AI in video games</a> and that a vocal minority is making a lot of noise on the subject. At the same time, there is a growing share of people who say they are more likely than before to refuse to buy a game if they found out it uses generative AI. This is likely connected to the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/the-american-rebellion-against-ai-is-gaining-steam-94b72529" id="https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/the-american-rebellion-against-ai-is-gaining-steam-94b72529">growing trend of people rebelling against AI in all facets of life</a>.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In terms of how developers feel about the use of generative AI, a GDC study from earlier this year found that <a href="https://www.gamespot.com/articles/more-developers-than-ever-believe-generative-ai-is-hurting-the-game-industry/1100-6537793/">more than 50% of developers think generative AI is a threat to the video game industry</a>. This represented an increase from 30% from the previous year’s study. Only 7% of respondents said the use of generative AI in game development had a positive impact.</p>
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https://www.gamespot.com/articles/palworld-dev-on-ai-gamers-dont-want-it/