EA is partnering with Stability AI, the company that develops the Stable Diffusion AI image model, to help infuse AI into its development processes. The two companies will “co-develop transformative AI models, tools, and workflows that empower our artists, designers, and developers to reimagine how content is built,” EA says.
The company says that humans will still be “at the center of storytelling,” but “we’re evolving how we work so that AI becomes a trusted ally: supporting faster iteration, expanding creative possibilities, accelerating workflows, and allowing more time to focus on what matters most – building world-class games and experiences that entertain massive online communities.” EA adds that AI “can draft, generate, and analyze, but it can’t imagine, empathize, or dream. That’s the work of EA’s extraordinary artists, designers, developers, storytellers, and innovators.”
EA CEO Andrew Wilson has spoken highly of AI in the past, saying last year that the technology is at the “very core” of the company’s business. AI could be embedded in EA’s operations even more in the future: the investor group that is looking to take EA private has its eyes on using AI at the company, with the Financial Times reporting that “the investors are betting that AI-based cost cuts will significantly boost EA’s profits in the coming years.” And EA isn’t the only major gaming company looking to increase its use of AI; PUBG: Battlegrounds maker Krafton just announced that it’s investing heavily into AI as part of an “AI First” strategy.
One of the first initiatives EA and Stability will work on together is “to accelerate the creation of Physically Based Rendering (PBR) materials through the development of new artist-driven workflows – for example, tools that generate 2D textures that maintain exact color and light accuracy across any environment,” according to EA. Stability AI notes that the two companies will “also pursue developing AI systems capable of pre-visualizing entire 3D environments from a series of intentional prompts, allowing artists to creatively direct the generation of game content with unmatched speed and precision.”
