Blue Archive Producer Discusses AI Challenges in Game Development
Recently, the use of generative AI has become more prevalent in creative fields, including game development, raising many ethical and legal questions associated with this technology.
In a recent interview with GameMeca, Blue Archive producer Yongha Kim shed light on how Nexon Games utilizes AI and addressed concerns about its negative impact on "authenticity" in the creative industry and consumer distrust.
Today, more game studios are releasing new games using AI-generated or AI-assisted resources, often drawing criticism from fan communities—even widely known and critically acclaimed games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 become subjects of discussion.
Citing copyright infringement and "soulless content" as common critiques in the industry, Kim acknowledges these concerns, noting that current AI technology issues naturally affect game perception.
First, there's an issue with low-quality AI, where reckless use of generative AI diminishes the quality of the outcome. Take snacks as an example: even if the packaging looks attractive, if the actual number of snacks inside decreases while the bag is filled with air, naturally, consumers will react negatively.
Additionally, Kim mentions that consumers of more niche and subculture-oriented genres have higher demands for "creative authenticity." However, he states that current transformation or diffusion-based models are “just simulators” without any intention of adding personality. Therefore, if we fully rely on them to produce results with a simple "click," it raises the question: can we truly account for the creator’s authenticity?
When asked if AI can fully replace human-created works in the near future, Kim responds that while it might happen in the long term, his current answer is no. The main problem is that AI is still unable to fully meet the performance level required in development environments. I believe it will likely not meet expectations even next year. However, its usefulness as a tool is undeniably expanding.
Regarding in-house AI usage, Kim says the IO Nexon Game division (the team behind Blue Archive and Project RX) actively applies AI-based technologies like voice recognition and speech synthesis in their games and explores potential application areas. Instead of radically transforming the organization around AI, we take a more practical approach by first identifying developer needs and then developing technologies or providing services capable of meeting them.
In a previous interview, Kim also stated that Nexon Games IO uses AI technologies to support human developers and minimize repetitive and labor-intensive tasks. Apparently, this allows developers to spend more time on work requiring creativity.