Krafton loves AI. Indeed, the publisher loves it so much that it followed a record-breaking quarter in November by starting a hiring freeze and a voluntary resignation programme so it could restructure itself around AI. Instead of investing in people, it’s investing $88 million in a technology that has yet to remotely prove itself in videogame development.
But wait! AI is really here to help humans, not kill their careers. Please ignore what’s staring you right in the face and instead trust Krafton’s new chief AI officer, Kangwook Lee. He’s been the head of Krafton AI since 2022, and in this new executive role he will oversee AI R&D and “mid-to-long-term innovation strategy”.
“Krafton uses AI as a tool to amplify human imagination and creativity, not replace it,” he said. “Rooted in our core gaming business, Krafton will continue to explore future possibilities backed by AI innovation and data for long-term growth and player value.”
Last year, for instance, he worked with Nvidia to introduce “co-playable characters”—a stupid name for gen AI NPCs—in Krafton games, most notably Inzoi. Nvidia’s been experimenting with this tech for a while now, and the results are poor. Interesting, perhaps, but a big step down from curated, human-created NPCs.
The most notable impact of AI at Krafton, so far, is the cost on the human side of its business. It’s getting rid of current employees and not bringing in new ones. This is, like so many AI endeavours, bad for people—with the exception of AI specialists and the eager suits who fund them.