Rockstar Games parent company Take-Two Interactive has reportedly laid off its AI team.
Luke Dicken, who was serving as the head of the AI team, confirmed in a post on LinkedIn that he has been laid off, writing the following message:
It’s truly disappointing that I have to share with you that my time with T2 – and that of my team – has come to an end. I will take the time in a week or so to make a more reflective post on my time with Zynga and T2, but for right now, I would appreciate your help in finding these awesome talented folks new positions.
We’ve been developing cutting-edge technology to support game development now for [seven] years. These folks know how to match innovation and novel problem-solving approaches with strong product design chops to create systems that empower people throughout the development workflow.
Last October, Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick touched base on the subject of AI during a chat at CNBC’s Technology Executive Council Summit that he feels the technology lacks the creativity to be able to create its own answer to Grand Theft Auto.
Let’s say there were no constraints. Could we push a button tomorrow and create an equivalent to the ‘Grand Theft Auto’, and the marketing plan, and here it is? The answer is no. A, you can’t do that yet, and B, I am of the view that you wouldn’t end up with anything very good. You end up with something pretty derivative.
