EA’s AI Push Sparks Developer Frustration and Layoff Fears

Electronic Arts (EA) has plunged deeper into the world of artificial intelligence, pushing its massive workforce to integrate AI into nearly every aspect of game production – from coding and concept art to managerial communication and quality assurance.

But while the company’s executives see this as the inevitable evolution of creative work, developers on the ground are grappling with a harsher reality: AI-generated content often introduces as many problems as it solves.

According to reports from current and former EA employees, the publisher has spent the past year heavily promoting AI tools throughout its studios. These tools assist in writing code, generating in-game assets, and even crafting HR messages for managers. Yet the rollout hasn’t been smooth. Programmers claim that much of the AI-generated code is unstable, requiring extensive human correction before it can be integrated. One engineer described it as “spending more time fixing AI code than writing my own.”

Artists, too, are feeling uneasy. Concept artists and level designers fear they are training their replacements, as their own work is being fed into generative systems that could eventually automate their jobs. Quality assurance testers, traditionally responsible for evaluating gameplay feedback, have also been affected. At Respawn Entertainment, a major EA studio, around 100 employees were reportedly laid off after the company began using AI to summarize and interpret playtest feedback – a task that previously relied on human insight.

Despite the turmoil, not every voice in the industry views AI as a threat. Masahiro Sakurai, the legendary creator of Super Smash Bros., believes that generative AI could make large-scale development more sustainable, especially in markets like Japan where developer shortages are growing. Hideo Kojima, known for Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding, also sees AI as a creative ally – a tool to handle the repetitive, technical workload so that developers can focus on storytelling and innovation.

For EA, however, the balance between innovation and exploitation seems fragile. Many employees see the push for AI as less about empowering creativity and more about reducing headcount over time. As one cynical insider suggested, the company is effectively training an algorithm to replace the very people teaching it. Whether this gamble will pay off in greater efficiency or trigger another wave of layoffs remains to be seen. What’s certain is that the conversation around AI in gaming has only just begun – and EA’s bold experiment is setting a controversial precedent.