"Gamers don't want it": Palworld lead says Pocketpair doesn't touch AI because players hate it and artists "like doing stuff themselves"

A major video game studio is deliberately avoiding artificial intelligence despite its potential competitive advantages, betting that player backlash and creator skepticism represent a genuine market force that rivals the technology's raw capabilities. Pocketpair's decision to shun AI in game development cuts against the industry's broader rush to adopt the technology, suggesting that public sentiment—not just technical limitations—may ultimately constrain how widely generative AI gets adopted in entertainment. The gamble underscores a widening schism in tech: while some companies sprint ahead with AI integration, others are wagering that authenticity and human craft have become valuable enough to market as selling points.

GamesRadar+·Jun 18