How games shape AI and how it can be a "saviour to many companies"

• Charisma.ai's Guy Gadney says attitudes to AI has shifted in 2025 and it can be used to drive efficiency while also reducing costs.
• AI Guys' Ken Noland focuses on how games have impacted AI, saying studios should prioritise performance.

The presence of AI is an increasing reality and its growing influence can be felt across every stage of game development.

But that's not to say all developers use these tools - some are against genAI entirely, while others embrace the tech.

With the game makers embracing it - how readily available is AI technology and adjacent tools? And over the coming years, how best can developers utilise them, maintain ethical responsibility, and mitigate growing challenges such as over-saturation and poor quality?

Ahead of Pocket Gamer Connects London on January 19th to 20th, we spoke with a group of industry professionals who will be sharing their expertise live at the event.

AI adoption and the shifting landscape

Having worked with AI in the games and media industries for over 15 years, Guy Gadney, CEO of Charisma.ai, is taking part in the roundtable session The Creative Industries After AI: What Comes Next?, part of the Beyond Games: Transmedia Summit.

Discussing a recent shift in attitudes towards AI adoption, Gadney says: “Previously, there was a negative sentiment about automation, but this has now changed.

“AI can be seen as a saviour for many companies, enabling them to develop games faster and at a lower cost than before.”

But what cost does it come at? Alongside new opportunities, challenges are also emerging. 

“AI will have a major impact on Unreal and Unity as game engines, and new, more cloud-based forms of rendering will emerge in 2026,” says Gadney, adding that “this will challenge existing workflows, but enable opportunities for more nimble companies".

Succeeding in a saturated market

In an ever-changing industry like games, adaptation is essential. Agility, in particular, has been high on many developers’ agendas.

AI Guys CTO Ken Noland, who is speaking on the AI Advances track, cites “getting noticed” as the biggest challenge currently facing the industry.

“I've seen so many great games fail to reach mass-market appeal, while several big-budget titles have received fairly lukewarm receptions."

He adds: “I thought 2025 was a turning point, and I’ve seen positive signals from studios hiring and new teams forming after several large closures, but I don’t think we’re out of the woods yet."

Rather than focusing solely on how new technologies like AI are shaping games today, Noland’s solo talk explores how games have historically shaped the AI we use now.

Performace, platforms, and player reach

He would like to see studios prioritise performance from day one, rather than treating it as a late-stage issue, stating that “getting your game to run well on older hardware is a necessity".

He also sees a significant opportunity in targeting legacy platforms.

“Everyone wants to release on the Switch 2, but the Switch 1 still has a much larger install base. If you're a mobile developer, it’s also worth considering a Steam Deck release,” he says.

“Look at what your players already own and try to meet them where they are.”

Cross-media storytelling: a new growth potential

On the subject of opportunity, Gadney highlights the untapped potential of cross-media, noting that “audiences love to follow entertainment brands across media".

He adds that “storytelling is a magic ingredient for increasing gameplay duration".

“Siloed businesses have made seamless storytelling across media a challenge, but that has changed - and there’s a whole pasture of opportunities here.”

To fully realise this potential, Gadney believes greater recognition of the UK games industry’s value and creativity is needed, alongside more strategic support.

For Noland, one change he would like to see is “more technical and artistic communities focused on the craft of making games".

In the same vein, Gadney emphasises the importance of “co-productions with different media” as a way to keep both development and marketing costs down.

AI is already changing how games are built, but many studios are still working out the practicalities. With tight budgets and discoverability still a challenge, those are significant decisions.

Learn more from speakers including Guy Gadney and Ken Noland at PG Connects London 2026, taking place on January 19th and 20th. Register your ticket via the official website.