"I really worry about anyone coming into the industry now," said Telescope Labs’ Toby Smith, regarding generative AI at PGC London 2024.

He discussed the topic alongside Half Moon Studios founder Pieter Kooyman, Ludo.ai founder Tom Pigott, InWorld’s Louis Fischer, and representatives from Layer AI and X&Immersion on a panel all about generative AI’s sudden domination as a development tool.

With the question in every game developer’s mind right now being just what changes are still to come, the panellists speculated what tools devs will use in five years’ time, and how AI could change with regulations. This included present and future benefits to indie developers, the likely slow uptake by Triple A developers, and the potential risk to the jobs market as a result of AI technology.

Concerning or exciting?

"I don’t see how this doesn’t become a key part of the workflow," said Fischer. "It feels inevitable in certain parts of games… There’s going to be some really wonderful indies that push the boundaries. I think Triple As will take note."
Suggesting there is still some way to go, Kooyman noted: "It’s incredibly frustrating working with these tools right now. People talk about all the success stories but you don’t see all the rubbish along the way."

Smith, meanwhile, suggested: "Where we are with AI does feel like humans discovering fire for the first time. It could lead to the Great Fire of London or it could lead to the combustion engine.

"There are going to be new jobs created, but I really worry about anyone coming into the industry now. I think the junior jobs are going to be replaced. What’s that path for the junior person? Those are going to be the roles that go first."

Given Google's stealthily cut of over 1,000 jobs this month with AI taking on the workload, those concerns certainly hold weight...

There’s a lot more still to discover from PGC London 2024, with talks and conversations ongoing through January 22 and 23. Find out more about what's on and how you can be part of it here.