- 52% of game developers believe generative AI harms game development.
- Only 7% of game professionals favor the technology, down from 13% in last year’s report.
- One-third of developers still use AI, primarily to manage tasks and support prototyping and coding.
Arguably, the most contentious topic in the industry last year was the implementation of generative AI in video game development. As with players, there is a divide among studios on the use of the technology.
While companies like Ubisoft are pushing to make AI an integral part of development, other developers like Larian Studios aren’t too keen. As it turns out, the tide is turning against generative AI: more than half of developers don’t want to implement it.
Why it matters: Disdain for generative AI is growing as developers learn more about it, and at this point, only business executives are really pushing to use the technology.
According to GDC’s 2026 report, 52% of game developers oppose the use of generative AI in any form during production. More than half of the 2300 respondents in the survey said AI is negatively affecting the gaming industry.
These numbers represent a 22% increase from last year, when only 30% of developers strongly opposed the implementation of generative AI.
Furthermore, approval of the technology declined in this year’s survey. Only 7% of developers responded positively about the impact of generative AI, down 6% from the 2025 report.
However, many game professionals still use it in their work, with 33% implementing AI for prototyping, research, responding to emails, and addressing coding problems. Many of the developers surveyed reported that using generative AI helps them better manage game development.
Despite its advantages, other respondents were cautious about the technology’s widespread adoption, citing concerns about theft and plagiarism and saying they would rather leave the industry than use generative AI.
Do you think using AI for menial tasks to improve efficiency is a good idea, or are developers right to be worried about the technology? Tell us in the comments below or head to the Tech4Gamers forum for discussion.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
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