There’s No Point Using AI for Creativity, Says Game Developer

As 2025 winds toward its close, the debate over artificial intelligence in creative industries – particularly game development – has never been more intense. What was once a tool to populate NPC behavior or fine-tune enemy AI in games has now become a polarizing topic. With generative AI reshaping the boundaries of art, storytelling, and production, developers are divided between excitement and unease.

The conversation often circles back to a central question: should machines create, or should they only assist humans in creation?

One of the clearest voices on this issue comes from Richard Pillosu, CEO and co-founder of the Spanish studio Epictellers Entertainment, currently developing the ambitious cRPG Starfinder: Afterlight. In a recent interview, Pillosu delivered a statement that cuts through the noise: “There’s no point in using AI for any creative endeavor.” His conviction is rooted in passion. For him, game design – the drawing of characters, the shaping of worlds, and the weaving of stories – is the very essence of why people become developers in the first place. Creativity, he argues, is not a chore to be outsourced but a joy to be lived.

“AI should be doing the things we don’t want to do,” he explained with refreshing bluntness. “I’d love an AI that does my dishes or cleans my apartment so I can stay creative. But we don’t have that. Instead, we’re being sold AIs that want to take over the best part – the art of invention.” Pillosu sees the real danger not in the technology itself but in how it is being directed. For him, true creative work is an act of human connection – the kind of spark that can’t be replicated by algorithms trained on existing art.

Interestingly, his view isn’t unique. Legendary game director Hideo Kojima, often considered one of the most experimental minds in the medium, recently described AI as “a friend” – but one that should remain an assistant, not a co-author. Kojima envisions AI as a way to automate menial tasks so creators can focus on what only they can do: dreaming up worlds no machine could ever imagine. In this sense, Kojima and Pillosu stand shoulder to shoulder, both believing that technology should empower, not replace, human creativity.

Actor Feodor Chin, known for his roles in games and animation, echoed this sentiment from a performer’s perspective: “AI has its place as a tool, but it should never replace human beings.” For creatives like Chin, performance and emotion come from deeply personal experience – something no dataset can reproduce.

As studios experiment with AI-driven workflows, the industry stands at a crossroads. Will AI become the silent helper in the background, freeing artists to push their imagination further? Or will it evolve into a creative rival, homogenizing the art that once defined gaming’s magic? The outcome remains uncertain. But voices like Pillosu’s remind us that the heart of game development beats strongest when powered by human passion, not machine prediction.