Cyberpunk 2077 Lead Designer Discusses AI's Future in Gaming and Storytelling

  • 31-03-2024 |
  • Taylor Jones

The lead quest designer for Cyberpunk 2077, Pawel Sasko, has indicated that CD Projekt Red has delved into the potential of artificial intelligence in game creation. However, he believes that it will take a significant amount of time before such technology will be able to match the intricacy and depth of narratives crafted by humans.

During a conversation with Aftermath (with acknowledgments to PC Gamer), Sasko shared insights into CDPR's exploration of AI in their development process. While AI utilization in game production is growing more prevalent across the industry, Sasko hinted that there's still a vast chasm between what AI can do and the nuanced storytelling of human authors.

Sasko opined that, currently, AI might enhance non-player character responses to make them seem more realistic, yet it falls short in areas like narrative creation and character voicing. He has witnessed firsthand the discrepancy between content meticulously crafted by human creators and the output generated by AI, describing it as a substantial qualitative divide.

Addressing the latest 2023 expansion for Cyberpunk 2077 - Phantom Liberty, and its role as the narrative conclusion for the base game, Sasko implied that envisioning AI coming close to replicating the depth of human storytelling in such a context is nearly unimaginable due to the vast disparity in quality.

While the evolution pace of AI in scripting remains uncertain, with no clear timeframe for its potential to bridge the gap with human creativity, it's recognized for its efficiency. Conversely, Baldur's Gate 3 director Swen Vincke views AI as a beneficial tool for accelerating development tasks, though he doubts it will ever substitute the creative facets of game development.

Actors from well-known titles such as Baldur's Gate 3, The Witcher, and Final Fantasy 16 have also expressed concerns over the implications of AI advancements in their field.