Xbox sparks revolt at AI partnership "People will get fired, games get worse, C-suite gets millions'

"Another f****** strike is coming."

[rlow1]

Unfortunately it’s a sign of the times.

[-Foxtrot]

Yeah it's a sign alright, a sign people should be pushing back and telling multi million dollar companies with an obsession with AI to f*** off.

[theindiearmy]

That's the main goal of a lot of these start ups. Someone with an idea and some know-how aims to make their product large enough to attract a bigger company so they can sellout and make millions. The nice ones give their employees shares along the way so they get a cut of the pie as well.

[CantThinkOfAUsername]

People opposed textile machines replacing skilled workers in the 19th century. Called the Luddites, they were highly organised groups in England that marched in protests, destroyed factory machines and went as far as killing a few business owners who used them. Guess what happened?

[The_Hooligan]

Agree! Also, this will push people to unionize in the gaming industry.

[Notellin]

I don't typically agree with the majority of the N4G community but I'm behind this post.

The average citizen has to stand up to corporate greed at some point.

[Palitera]

Tech is the sign of the times.
AI is here to stay, but any company that wishes to do the same work MUCH more slowly is welcome to avoid the new tools.
People need to realize that AI is not nearly enough to make a game or even a tiny working program, and won't be used blindly. It's just a tool that still requires professionals and know how.

[Plague-Doctor27]

The article specifically states the AI will be used to generate dialogue and quest lines, two of the most important and universal concepts in any video game. Replacing an actual writer with ChatGPT and actual voice actors with TikTok voice won't give us better quality games faster.

[Palitera]

It doesn't mean that it will be unassisted, nor generated in real-time, nor that it will be better or worse.

Do you know that today almost all developers use AI assistants? (literally, statistically...)

[Eonjay]

Everyone should be worried about AI. No one is irreplaceable. The problem here is that corporations are 100% charged with one thing and one thing only: Maximizing returns for investors. That is it. There is nothing else. Therefore, if they can increase returns by replacing individuals with AI it will happen. The ONLY way to avoid this is for somehow companies find it more profitable to prioritize people. Money IS evil. The reckless purist of ever more money is the destruction of anything that gets in the way of acquiring more of it.

[shinoff2183]

Money tends to lead to greed. Shame, really. Me and a buddy talk about winning the PowerBall cause we grab a couple tickets every once in awhile. Funny are conversations always lead to what we'd also do for our communities.

[bababooiy]

Problem is, if most people start losing jobs where are these profits supposed to come from?

[Eonjay]

There is no endgame. At least not one that makes sense.

[crazyCoconuts]

Money is evil? Give me a break. Money = trade, so TRADE is evil? What system would you have replace it?
Even Communism has Money for crying out loud

[Eonjay]

Money is hands down evil. Mainly because it is the main vessel of greed which is evil. The system that I would replace it with would be one without money. One without the concept of 'wealth'. One were we pursued technological advancement for the betterment of ourselves and those coming after us. One where the advent of AI wouldn't mean the absolute devastation of the human population as AI will see humans as a risk and a cost that doesn't need to be incurred. There are too many example of suffering all over the world that only happens because people don't have the 'money' to avoid it. MONEY is why AI is going to destroy countless jobs. These casualties are unnecessary and so is money. We have the tech to provide for ourselves practically indefinitely.

[crazyCoconuts]

So... um... like... how are you going to talk the hundreds of people involved in making your current Xbox/PS to wake up in the morning and do that for you? Are you going to make things for all of them?

[Eonjay]

We would all have our own reasons to work or not to work. Those with passion for particular things would be drawn to those things. Jobs that no one wants to do would be replaced with automation. It's really not that hard to imagine if you try. We might not a PlayStation or an Xbox. What we would have would be better. When you asked me earlier about Capitalism vs Communism you. Indicated that the only types of systems you can imagine are monetary based ones. I am saying that there are more options available to us. Let's not limit ourselves by depending exclusively on the failed systems that preceeded us. Let's get outside the box. Obviously we aren't going to solve world crisis here in the comment section lol 😆. I don't have all the answers but if I do know that ideas are powerful and I would like to hear yours too.

[crazyCoconuts]

Well, I have to say, I appreciate the free thinking, and wish you well on your journey, and I'm not being sarcastic (this time :-) ).
Few last points from me though - the systems we have in place have evolved over quite a few years through many experiments and are still evolving. History is filled with experiments and a great place to look to see how some ideas have played out. All of the systems are flawed in some way, but only a few have had enough redeeming factors to stand the test of time.

[Petebloodyonion]

@Eonjay
I like your thinking Eonjay but I disagree with it simply because you forget or avoid the main issue
Human Greed and his desire to have more power.
At the basic earning money = providing a service so if you want more money you need to provide more helps to other and in return, it helps the collective growth and wealth.

In that sense, the system works for a society we are more wealthy compared to 100 years ago.
for example, the majority have electricity, worldwide communication, and a longer lifespan.

But like all systems, it gets corrupted by our desire for power over others, and money = power.
Now you could replace money with wealth and guess the human desire for power and greed would not change
education would become the new money and knowledge would suddenly become the currency.
or ownership of land.... or privilege based on color, religion, sex...

Let me prove that with a simple gaming question: why are some ppl happy when their game is EXCLUSIVES to their console?
Surely having more ppl enjoying a fun game should be what we want yet ppl cheer when they see the word EXCLUSIVE.

[shinoff2183]

I mean money is evil, they aren't wrong but it's a necessary evil. Some people take it to extreme levels. Like corporations using ingredients that are bad for human consumption but continue to use it because it's cheaper.

[Palitera]

AI only won't make things this terrible because the human plague will destroy its habitat way before AI is really functional by itself

[Christopher]

They're hitting the nail on the head. If you're removing entry-level jobs (background NPC voice acting), how will anyone going forward learn to master their skill to get higher level tier jobs (named character voice acting)?

[-Foxtrot]

It's that never ending cycle to jobs

"You need 5 years of experience as a voice actor for this position"

Okay I'll get experience...oh wait I can't because the only way to get experience is to get a job but I need experience to get a job I need experience for

[crazyCoconuts]

I don't understand. Are you saying there won't be people out there to fill the job requirements? What do you think companies would do then? Just use crappy AI and then complain when people don't buy their games?

[FinalFantasyFanatic]

Ah, the bane of my young adult years, job hunting is easier when you actually have experience.

[CS7]

God, the luddite perspective here is so depressing.

1. AI is going to replace all voice acting within 10 years. Background, main everything. And you’re not going to care. Because game worlds would finally be dynamic, reactive and to your every decision word and moves. This cannot ever possibly be achieved with physical voice acting.

2. Video games are currently limited by budget and time in a major way. Games releases take 5+ years now to develop with development times increasing every gen. Are we going to just continuously accept waiting 15 years for a trilogy. AI is finally a way to get shorter development timelines. If game dev times can get back to two years, that would be great.

3. PS5 games feel like glorified PS3 games. AI could offer us the next frontier in gaming with immersive worlds that genuinely react to you and your decisions while still maintaining a coherent story.

4. Are you against AI? Good. Join the people in the world who was against tractors, running water, electricity, cars, machine lines, television, telephone, email, internet, iPhone. Seriously get a grip and read some history. There were people STRONGLY against all these things and they sound just as insane today and this comment section would in a few years.

6. Its noble that everyone cares about jobs but understand that probably 85% of jobs would be obsolete in 20 years. AI is never going away. Every day AI gets smarter. Instead of trying to go backward lets discuss how society operates in a post job world with stuff like UBI etc.

[crazyCoconuts]

1. No. AI, despite the name, does not have intelligence. There is no feeling. Only patterns from existing art.
2. Yes
3. No. Again, games only do what they're coded to do. The "AI" that we're experiencing doesn't change that.
4. Agreed. Economy is always shifting
5. Where is 5?! Blame AI :-)
6. Agreed.

[Christopher]

1. I will 100% care. Please don't speak on my behalf. I don't want dynamic, reactive worlds, I want well-acted, emoted, and presented stories that are hand-crafted.

2. Spider-man (2018), Miles Morales (2020), Spider-man 2 (2023).
God of War (2018 - 4 years to develop), God of War: Ragnarok (2022)

I'm sorry, but what? Don't gaslight us with false info.

3. In your opinion, and it's a bad one.

4. Strawman argument galore there.

5. Where is #5? What happened to it? What have you done?!?

6. AI doesn't get smarter, it gets better vector data. That's why you don't know what you're talking about. You think better vector data is smarter. It also gets worse vector data, btw. Specifically how AI is now learning from other AI and thereby creating horribly bad results.

[shinoff2183]

What will happen when 85 percent of the jobs are eliminated due to ai is that there will be a wider gap between the rich and the poor. Middle class will be completly eliminated hell it almost already is. Keep in mind I say this assuming ai has taken 85 percent of jobs

You'll have very poor and very rich. It'll be like those futuristic movies where all the very poor will be living in the slums and there's no way out

[ChiefofLoliPolice]

Your a moron. Christopher's comment below spells it out for you how much of one you are.

[Matpan]

1- I still rather have voice actors I appreciate doing what they love, giving me a more limited dialogue than AI voices reacting to everything I do dynamically... Good writing doesn't need infinite dialogue possibilities.
2- I am sorry you cannot be made to wait for good things that take intensive labor and love from hundreds of people to be made. I rather wait ten years knowing the people involved got fairly paid and did not burn out that have a game a year with half the workforce and massive layoffs.
3- What are you smoking?
4 - This false equivalent makes no sense, and shows a lack of understanding about how deeply disrupting the current iteration of large language models threatens to be, in every field. The current economic system is not setup to absorb a mass of non working individuals. A massive political and economical shift is necessary to accommodate for the future this can potentially shape. And I fear corporate greed will care little to enact those changes.
6 - This is the only point I agree with. And this discussion needs to happen. But if history has taught us anything is that revolutions tend to be messy, and bloody...

[MrDead]

Not just voice actors, just think of all the artwork assets, 3d models, etc that they now own. Why pay design teams when you can reuse their previous work and get AI to make new assets from amalgamations like with AI art.

MS's future for the industry, cut the workers out but still use their work.

[Christopher]

I know more than a few people in game dev who want to use AI to sit in for placeholder elements, but even those people realize that that's all it is so they can work faster to finish their design work (level design, not character) while artists later fill in with better assets that aren't AI-related. But AI voice acting and auto-generated conversations? No to that please.

[franwex]

We don’t need to fear change. They said the same thing about computers and the internet when it first came out.

Yet here we are on this website.

Yes some people will get displaced temporarily, but it will benefit society as a whole more and expand our abilities.

[gold_drake]

i wonder if u say the same thing if your job is swapped out by a mere program.

[crazyCoconuts]

That's life's way of saying time to do something else

[Eonjay]

If only it was a simple as 'fearing change'. What people are desperately trying to get you to understand is that the 'obsolescence of human beings' is not just something to fear, its something to outright avoid in a system where you need money to survive.

'There is NOTHING that will keep corporations form using AI and automation to reduce their cost and workforce.'

Before when companies extracted money out of the economy, some of that money would go back to workers. The goal is to reduce that as much as possible. It used to be that there were some jobs that were too complex to be automated. Therefore employees who could complete those tasks were paid for their skills. This will not be possible if we don't bring this under control.

A person like me who doesn't believe that money should exist can see a world were AI is a benefit to humanity. But in a system where people still need money to eat, find shelter and raise their families, I can tell you that the result will be the deepening divide between who has money and who doesn't. The highest paying jobs, for technical experts are those jobs being targeted most aggressively.

Even most AI systems, when asked, will explain the dangers of unchecked AI growth. What is someone in the 40s or 50s supposed to do when they are 'temporarily displaced'? Do you understand the alarm at all? Let me know. I will take a much time explaining this as necessary. We need as many humans on our side as we can get. AI is smarter, more powerful and cheaper than any of us. We have to fight like we want to survive or else we will not.

[CS7]

Lol wtf? This reeks of a lack of understanding of both technology and economics.

Pray tell me sir. When there is mass unemployment who is going to buy from these corporations that use AI?

You understand that people need money to buy or else… *drum roll* the corporations crash as well.

[Einhander1972]

Computers/internet have eliminated massive amounts of jobs... what are you talking about...

But at least with computers for the most part one person runs one computer, AI on the other hand does not require the same type of human input, heck AI will likely eliminate computers themselves.

[VariantAEC]

"...heck AI will likely eliminate computers themselves."
It is stunning how uninformed you are.
What is AI again? Yeah, it's called software and therfore to use AI you need... a computer (and computers exists in all robots, just in case you wish to argue along that route).

[anast]

People will still buy AI games. Starfield is an AI game. I think "they" should open the AI firehose so we can get to where we are going anyway.

[gold_drake]

love how they invest in AI development when they still have no games to show.

but this is definitely going to be a huge issue for alot of dev people.

[vTuro24]

It's amazing how AI is simultaneously the best and worst tech advancement to happen in recent history, if not ever. Its potential is insane, but the threat that it poses to people's job security is undeniable. I recently learned that a company that I used to work for fired a huge chunk of its workforce and replaced them with chatgpt. This kind of crap will only keep spreading if regulations don't get put in place. Certain jobs will disappear completely as human creativity gets replaced by a computer.

[CS7]

And?

Let the revolution happen.

You really want to work 40 hours a week for the rest of your life?

[Einhander1972]

Uh, no but people want to eat...

You think the rich people who control the AI are just going to give up their privilege and let the world achieve equality.... keep dreaming.

Heck they won't even let people work from home...

[ChiefofLoliPolice]

No but I want to eat, travel, and do the things i like to do. The rich and powerful are not going to allow the world the achieve equality.

[niiopi]

Humanity will be its own downfall.

[jznrpg]

I will always be on the side humans keeping jobs over AI. That being said is there a chance AI could make Xbox’s mid level games better ? Slightly a joke slightly not. Either way I’d rather they keep the jobs in human hands.

[CS7]

Why?

Would you rather plumbing or a human tote water up the hill for you from the well?

Would you rather 15 farmers harvesting the vegetables you eat or one with a tractor?

Would you rather your clothing made on an assembly line or a human knit it for you.

Would you like your email delivered by a mailman?

I can go on all day, but my point is all around you is job have been replaced by technology. This is no different.

[SO71D]

@CS7

I'm intrigued, what do you actually do for a living?

You've replied to multiple people with the same about the same thing. I'm not against AI, but there's no balance to your arguments and they're coming across as one-sided rants.

Or are you AI?

[PhillyDonJawn]

I said Ai would ruin us. Use your wallet. We hold the power.

[DivineHand125]

If any CEO lays off any member of staff before AI proves to be viable then they are stupid. It is as simple as that. Right now, only a few games have a really good story. I would prefer to see AI assist the writers with making the best version of their story rather than replace them.

[z2g]

they're development tools. just like how as a designer I have AI driven tools as well... like regenerative fills etc. you still need the talent and the artist or dev to guide and direct., this just makes certain things faster and easier. if anything it should make games better optimized and less buggy. they aren't just letting AI make games. I get the fear that everyone has and yes AI can be scary as far as jobs go in some contexts, but I don't think this is one of them. I'm still a designer, working hard and hiring other designers and we are all using AI tools. Its important to note that AI also isn't perfect and needs a lot of babysitting

[Games1st]

Ai is good for modders

[Knightofelemia]

I'd like to see the Series X become sentient and send a Terminator into the past.

[Petebloodyonion]

I don't see ppl complaining when using online banking solutions instead of going to the bank and talking to the clerk.
I don't see ppl complain when going for the self-checkout cashier at Walmart or ordering food via mobile apps.
I don't see ppl complaining when using GOOGLE Translate instead of paying the fees of a translator.
ETC.

The sad fact is with every technological advertisement we are removing some jobs or closing some businesses yet the unemployment rate is quite low versus the mid-'90s so we must be doing something right!

[AuraAbjure]

Well you haven't been paying attention to my comments over the past 4 years then because I've been barking about Nazi fascist criminal Google and the Illuminati Federal Reserve and the unconstitutional Nixon shock of 1971 🤬

[shinoff2183]

I go to the bank all the time. I do check my account from time to time.

Walmart doesn't give you much choice as far as self checkout. You have 30 self checkouts and 3 cashiers. Cashier lines are backed the fk up. When you just need some pasta sauce and breadsticks you don't really have an option.

[AuraAbjure]

AI is BS. It's programmed by a bunch of Natzi ass hacks to lie about everything. I believe the Natzis covertly won WW II and the US executive branch of government succumbed to fascist allure and officially embraced the Nazi party in 1944. That's why I love Wolfenstein games so much, to keep my hatred for Natzism strong 💪

The treaty of Versailles signed in 1919 was clearly written to instigate a second war with Germany within a 15 year period. WW II was pre planned far in advance by the USA and England and probably France too. The Globalists Nazi childish hacks secured their largest clubhouse in the form of the UN headquartered in New York, USA.

AI is the lovechild of the German Natzi and Globalist Klaus Schwab. He and the Round Table International have made significant progress to date in covertly installing nanobots into most people in the USA and Europe as unsuspecting victims' are assigned their own unique MAC address to then have their biometric data transmitted via bluetooth signals to nearby WiFi routers. That valuable transmission then gets sent to an AI-powered could, which is programmed by countless lines of stupid, deceitful computer code, in some kind of sad, pathetic, twisted attempt to override our natural systems, dictating our thoughts, emotions, and physical actions. 5G towers are being used to wirelessly instruct nanobots inside us to construct payloads of synthetic neurohormones or other molecules in the our bloodstream, and the payloads full of weird toxins are finally delivered to specific glands and organs.

[Giblet_Head]

It is a shame when the body outlives the mind.

[AuraAbjure]

https://youtu.be/ToA7WJMuF6...

"We were played like a fiddle." Timestamp = 11:15

It's a shame when the free and the brave get played like a fiddle for poetically overlooking their sense of smell. Americans ignored a century's worth of warning signs intended to alert them that something does not smell right- that something is wrong and not okay.

[Stanjara]

Don't worry guys, AI still has a long way to go until it learns that a female is stronger and better in every way than a male.

Those writers have nothing to worry abou... at least for now.

[GrmpyolGamer]

AI will mean worse games and lost jobs. Until Sony does it then it will be ok

[Futureshark]

AI can only imitate, it cannot create. This is it's intrinsic limitation and will be the cause of a lot of lazy decisions ("let AI do it!!" )and poor quality games (and films, shows, etc.).

[FinalFantasyFanatic]

I think, while this will be bad for jobs, I think a lot of people and corporations over-estimate what AI is currently capable, not only that, but the cost and complexity of actually running a LLM.

[The-VG-shamman]

I keep getting downvotes for calling out the BS yet accounts that are shills get upvotes for the most clichè opinions…….. i been calling out this shit and everyone ignores it. Once again!!!!! The gaming community is compromised, wake TFFFF up and demand what you deserve as players!! This message is for those who been gaming long enough to see what’s happening to our community.

[mjchitown]

nun if this when sony brount a AI company. pc gamers , yell are clowns

[Matpan]

Unionization, cutting support to big studios and releases made with AI, supporting smaller and idie devs with human labor. That´s the only way forward.

Otherwise this will just be a way to make the the already rich just much richer.

There is no democratization of production means under this tech, just more means to please shareholders. Unless we take an honest look at the way we are just eternally pursuing faster and bigger growth, we are headed for disaster. This is just the tip of the iceberg.

Life is meant to be enjoyed, stories are meant to come from people with experiences. Supplant that with large language models regurgitating human experience, and it will soon become a race to the bottom.

[Snookies12]

Just an excuse to cut costs by removing actual people from work...

[VariantAEC]

Haiyan Zhang, General Manager of Gaming AI, Xbox: [Opening statement about AI in Pac-Man and in games since the late 70s]
We've been playing against AI for many decades now, and everyone here is acting like this partnership will end everything, and today no one uses it better than PlayStation's 1st party devs. Guerilla Interactive used AI to form the worlds of Killzone 2 through Horizon Forbidden West's DLC world... and no one complained!

"Most recently, as game creators have begun experimenting with AI Large Language Models (LLMs) like OpenAI’s GPT (the AI that powers ChatGPT and Bing Chat)..." None of these actually speak, there is no unique vocaloid models driving speech, they write. "...we see a world of opportunities to accelerate game developer creativity, reduce complexity, and enhance player experiences."
These are all commendable goals, and voice actors jobs are safe, going by this.

Ok, so I skipped 3 paragraphs because this is getting long and because the 4th (included below) actually contains something important).

"The toolset will include: An AI design copilot that assists and empowers game designers to explore more creative ideas, TURNING PROMPTS INTO DETAILED SCRIPTS, DIALOGUE TREES, QUESTS AND MORE. An AI character runtime engine that can be integrated into the game client, enabling entirely new narratives with dynamically-generated stories, quests, and dialogue for players to experience."
The above paragraph is the most important in the entire blog post and only further provides evidence that Inworld's AI tools will not likely include artificial voice acting. Dialog trees and spoken words for those dialog trees **ARE NOT THE SAME THING!**
Even with dynamic dialogue, there might be no VO for those dynamically generated sequences.
These AI can write things, but it seems like they will only HELP writters make content, not make content without assistance. Since this is a design tool VO will still be done pre-release, likely by real people.
The next paragraph (not shown) explains who will have access to these tools if they develop games for Microsoft's platforms in the future. The paragraph after that is shown.

"Our approach to AI is based on three principles: • meaningful innovation
• empowering people and organizations
• and responsibility.
We are committed to creating responsible AI by design, building on Microsoft’s AI principles and Microsoft’s Responsible AI Standard. And we continue our ongoing commitment to bring intentional, inclusive practices and thinking to everything we do at Xbox."
Sure, I understand everyone's skepticism that MS 1st parties will not use AI as a crutch, and agree with you that they likely will (just look at how little effort MS puts into their biggest IP now). But will all others do the same? I doubt it.

Look, PlayStation and Sony (PS' parent company) are already using AI in compelling ways that isn't taking jobs away from anyone to make gaming better. GT Sophy and Decima Engine's world genorator tools are good examples of AI not killing jobs and making games more interesting, beautiful and enjoyable.
Again MS vs PS, I get it, I do... But should we completely write-off AI because MS is going to use it? If you think so... best to stop gaming entirely because even Nintendo has been using AI like PlayStation has (not nearly as well) for the past 6 or so years at least.

I'd give MS a few years to actually make something of worth using AI tools to improve their game's quality.