While the hype around AI continues to grow, Warhammer’s parent company, Games Workshop, is adopting a more skeptical approach to the technology for now. Games Workshop CEO Kevin Rountree spoke about AI, confirming that the company has banned its use in its content production and design processes, although a “few” senior managers have begun experimenting with it.
“We do have a few senior managers that are [experts on AI]: none are that excited about it yet. We have agreed an internal policy to guide us all, which is currently very cautious, e.g., we do not allow AI-generated content or AI to be used in our design processes or its unauthorized use outside of GW, including in any of our competitions,” Rountree said during the company’s financial results meeting (via IGN). “We also have to monitor and protect ourselves from a data compliance, security, and governance perspective; the AI or machine learning engines seem to be automatically included on our phones or laptops, whether we like it or not.”
Rountree explained that Games Workshop will instead invest in hiring more creative professionals across various departments to help craft new content for its IP, including Warhammer 40,000 and Age of Sigmar. The company is known for selling Warhammer 40K Codex books featuring a rich selection of illustrations with a distinctive grimdark aesthetic, and any hint of generative AI usually draws backlash from fans. For example, Displate had to issue a statement last year denying that several of its officially licensed Warhammer 40K products were created with generative AI, following fan accusations.
Other companies remain bullish on AI, especially in the gaming space. Publishers like EA and Krafton are aggressively pivoting toward it, while famous developers like Hideo Kojima and Glen Schofield believe that AI can help streamline game development.
While spending on AI is expected to reach $500 billion in 2026, some analysts believe the AI bubble is about the burst, especially as it gobbles up valuable natural resources and leads to a spike in prices for hardware like graphics cards and RAM.
