Take Two CEO Strauss Zelnick believes in using generative AI to drive costs and time efficiency, but not for building games. It has barely been a week since Google unveiled its Project Genie AI tool that enables users to create explorable worlds using text descriptions and images, which also sent a number of game publishers’ stock prices into a downward spiral, including Take Two. Zelnick no doubt took notice of this and saw the need to clarify the company’s stance and use of AI. The CEO spoke with Gamesindustry.biz, where it was shared that machine learning has always been used, but humans have always handcrafted the worlds of its games.
“This company’s products have always been built with machine learning and artificial intelligence. We’ve actually always been a leader in the space, and right now we have hundreds of pilots and implementations across our company, including within our studios.”
– Strauss Zelnick, Take Two CEO
The Take Two exec goes on to explain that every part of Grand Theft Auto VI has been painstakingly made by humans, not generative AI, and that technology cannot create because it is merely data-driven. This statement comes as many are criticizing the use of generative AI for creating art and other content in games. The gaming community is paying close attention to how AI is being used, whether it be for marketing or any part of a game’s development, and it is acknowledged that there are Pros and Cons to its usage.
“That said, do I think tools by themselves create great entertainment properties? No, there’s no evidence that that’s the case and it won’t be the case in the future. 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. They’re built from the ground up, building by building, street by street, neighborhood by neighborhood. They’re not procedurally generated, they shouldn’t be. That’s what makes great entertainment.”
– Strauss Zelnick, Take Two CEO
It has been a rocky road for the development of GTA 6, which has seen multiple delays for Rockstar to bring it to release, but it will hopefully be able to keep to the current November 19, 2026, console launch date. Zelnick remains confident it will happen. Meanwhile, since the next instalment is not only expected to be one of the biggest releases of the last decade, but quite possibly the biggest in video game history, many other AAA publishers are keeping a keen eye in order to avoid releasing their own titles near its release date. One such publisher, Microsoft, is rumored to be planning many of its own releases, such as the next Fable, Halo, and Gears of War titles throughout 2026 and possibly 2027, so they will not have to compete directly in the same month as Grand Theft Auto VI.
“What I’ve said, and continue to say, is that tools don’t replace creativity and tools are not projects, they’re different things.”
– Strauss Zelnick, Take Two CEO