It seems the world of game development is once again buzzing with the “A-word,” but if you were worried about The Elder Scrolls 6 being written by a robot, you can breathe a sigh of relief. Bethesda’s own Todd Howard has recently clarified the studio’s stance on Artificial Intelligence, and it’s a lot more grounded than the “replace everyone” narrative we often hear. Speaking in a recent interview with Kinda Funny, Howard confirmed that while the studio isn’t burying its head in the sand, they are being “incredibly cautious” about how the technology is implemented.
Todd Howard on AI
The big takeaway here is that Bethesda isn’t interested in using generative AI to create the “art” of their games. Howard was quite firm on the idea that human intention is what makes their worlds feel special. He explained that the studio is viewing AI more as an “analyst” rather than a creator.
“[We’re] kind of viewing [it] as a tool, like an analyst, to look at the data in our games. We’re not using it to generate anything. I think there’s an element of artistic intention that is essential to what we do and what others do.”
He went on to compare the evolution of AI to the tools we already use, noting that “if you go back to a version of Photoshop from 10 years ago, you wouldn’t want to go back to that version.”
Tell Me More
So, if they aren’t using it to write quests or paint textures, what is it doing? Howard mentioned “big data tasks” as the primary area of interest. This includes things like long-term player analysis, essentially looking at mountains of data to see how players interact with their massive open world, and helping with productivity on the technical side, like coding and bug checking.
The goal, according to Howard, is to use these tools to handle the time-consuming “boring” stuff so the developers can get back to the actual creative work. With the majority of the studio now officially working on The Elder Scrolls 6 and hitting internal milestones, any tool that speeds up the “big data” side of things is likely a welcome addition.
Key AI Implementation Goals
- Data Analysis: Using AI as an “analyst” to sift through player data and game performance.
- Productivity: Assisting with technical tasks like code review and bug detection to save time.
- Protecting Artistry: Ensuring all creative content remains “hand-crafted” by human developers.
- Creative Focus: Offloading time-consuming tasks so staff can focus on world-building and design.
What We Think
It’s refreshing to hear a major studio head talk about AI as a boring administrative tool rather than a magical “make game” button. Bethesda games are famous (and sometimes infamous) for their “jank” and specific charm, which largely comes from the fact that a human being decided to put a bucket on a shopkeeper’s head. If AI stays relegated to the “big data” bin, it should hopefully mean we get these massive RPGs a little bit sooner without losing the soul of the franchise.
While The Elder Scrolls 6 is still a long way off, but hopefully sooner than later.
