Michał Nowakowski, joint CEO of CD Projekt RED, does not believe artificial intelligence can replace human artistry, but he is convinced that fully AI-generated games already exist or will begin appearing very soon.
Generative AI in video games has been a constant source of debate ever since someone, three years ago, decided that videos of Will Smith eating spaghetti were worth investing in. Since then, the technology has advanced about as quickly as the industry has adopted it. Some companies have embraced it completely, others have set red lines they refuse to cross, but much of the business has already picked a side. While plenty of people still cannot imagine games made entirely with AI, Michał Nowakowski, joint CEO of CD Projekt RED, is certain that such projects already exist, are starting to appear in storefronts, or will be released in the near future.
Speaking to Edge magazine via GamesRadar, Nowakowski said he is one hundred percent convinced that games generated entirely by artificial intelligence are not merely possible, but are already starting to take shape. He was not referring only to games that include a few procedurally generated assets, but to projects built around a fully automated production model. During the interview, the executive mentioned an unnamed studio that can create dozens of prototypes in a matter of days and release complete products in roughly three weeks through AI-driven systems.
“He told me, ‘I run a studio based primarily on AI. In one week I can have 40 prototypes, in two weeks I can have five games that I’ll consider the best and, after three weeks, I can launch a game,’” Nowakowski said, recalling his conversation with the studio founder. He acknowledged the value of AI for rapid product prototyping, but added: “Maybe that’s going to be successful, but I have some doubts whether this is really the path to follow.”
AI Has Divided the Games Industry, Though CD Projekt RED Has Its Own View
Beyond the generative AI debate itself, the games industry is facing a crisis in an increasingly saturated release calendar, where companies are fighting harder than ever just to win a player’s attention. Nowakowski is fully aware of that reality, and he argues that ideas with their own identity and “soul” remain essential if a game is going to stand out. He clearly sees the potential of AI, but he also made it clear that human creativity remains impossible to replace.
The CD Projekt RED executive has addressed the subject before, saying that he cannot imagine replacing human teams with this technology on large-scale productions such as The Witcher 4. The company already uses AI in certain processes to improve productivity, but not to generate direct content for its games. Instead, it is being used to automate external and repetitive tasks.
