David Gaider, a key creative force behind the Dragon Age series, has voiced strong opposition to the use of generative artificial intelligence in game development, describing the technology as a "virulent plague." Gaider, who served as lead writer on Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age II, and Dragon Age: Inquisition, shared his concerns in an extended interview with GamesRadar.
Gaider’s primary criticism stems from the ethical and legal implications of generative AI's training data. He highlighted that many AI models are trained on data that creators and owners have not consented to be used, opening the door to significant legal challenges and raising moral questions. "If we’re not allowed to steal whatever we need, then the AI won’t work as well!' isn’t a very compelling argument," Gaider stated, directly addressing a potential justification for using such data.
Beyond the training data, Gaider expressed skepticism about AI's practical benefits in the development process. He questioned whether generative AI truly enhances efficiency or improves the quality of work. "In all my time as a narrative designer I’ve never once encountered a situation where editing an inferior product took less time than simply throwing it out and redoing it," he explained. This suggests that the time saved by using AI-generated assets might be offset by the effort required to refine them.
Gaider also raised concerns about AI potentially reversing the intended relationship between human developers and technology. Instead of AI handling menial tasks to free up human creativity, he observes a trend where AI is assigned significant creative work, leaving human developers to perform cleanup. "It wouldn’t be so bad if generative AI was seen more as an assistant, doing the drudgery while leaving more important tasks for the worker, but we seem to be seeing more and more of the reverse: the AI is set to do the important work and the worker is around to ‘clean up’," he noted.
Furthermore, Gaider warned that eliminating even tedious tasks could hinder the development of new talent. He suggested that entry-level tasks often serve as crucial training grounds for junior developers. "I also think we have to be very careful about not eliminating every task which is useful for training juniors. Howe are we going to train up the next generation of devs if we eliminate every entry-level task?" he asked.
His critique extended to AI's iterative capabilities, which he found lacking. Gaider questioned the value of creating prototypes with AI if the development team does not gain practical skills in producing the final product. The writer concluded his remarks by calling for caution and regulation, suggesting that generative AI should be treated as a "virulent plague" until issues surrounding data sourcing and its role as a cheap labor replacement are adequately addressed.