AI in Game Development: A Creative Revolution or a Job Threat? "Every technological revolution brings fear. When cars replaced horse-drawn carriages, people thought jobs would disappear. Instead, new industries were born. The same is happening with AI in gaming. The future belongs to those who learn to use it, not fear it," Imtiaz Hussain, Co-Founder & COO, YesGnome

The gaming industry has always thrived on innovation, but the rise of generative AI (Gen AI) is accelerating change at an unprecedented pace. From indie studios to large gaming corporations, AI is transforming everything—game design, user acquisition, and production speed. Yet, this transformation also sparks debate: Will AI empower developers and creators, or will it threaten jobs and creativity?

Sharan Tulsiani, CEO and co-founder, Jetapult, believes that AI is breaking down traditional barriers that have long slowed creative teams."In India, creative people have always struggled with the tech side of game development," he said. "They have the ideas but lack the technical skills, and hiring developers, user acquisition specialists, and business strategists makes the journey harder. AI bridges that gap, allowing a 14-year-old with a vision to model, test, and refine their ideas at a speed never seen before."

He compared AI's role in Indian gaming to how China once leveraged a large workforce to dominate global manufacturing. "India can leapfrog traditional barriers in gaming with AI and rapidly scale," he added.

From resistance to dependence

While AI's integration into gaming was initially met with skepticism, that resistance is quickly fading. Imtiaz Hussain, co-founder and COO, Yesnorm, shared how his own team of developers and artists were reluctant to embrace AI tools. "Eighteen months ago, my art team refused to use AI," he recalled. "They felt it would replace their creativity. Today, they can't live without it. Artists use tools like MidJourney, and developers rely on AI copilots. It's not about replacing creativity—it's about amplifying it."

The real breakthrough, according to Hussain, lies in AI's ability to optimize user acquisition. Traditionally, game studios had to create dozens of ad variations and test them manually to see which attracted players. AI has automated this process, generating and testing thousands of ad creatives in real time.

"As a business guy, I always had ideas but lacked the resources to test them," Hussain said. "Now, AI lets us experiment at lightning speed, making our marketing strategies far more effective."

Creativity in the age of AI

Despite AI's many advantages, concerns over originality and job displacement persist. Will AI-generated content diminish the human touch in storytelling and game design? Gautam, founder, Holy Cow Productions, sees AI as an assistant rather than a replacement.

"Game development is a long, grueling process," he explained. "AI helps by cutting down production time by 30-40 per cent, but the core creative decisions still lie with humans. Instead of replacing creativity, AI allows developers to focus more on the vision and less on the repetitive, time-consuming tasks."

Tulsiani echoed this sentiment, emphasising that AI will likely create more opportunities for those with unconventional thinking styles."This is going to be the age of neurodivergent creators," he said. "People who think differently, who may have struggled in traditional career paths, will now have powerful tools to bring their visions to life. AI doesn't remove creativity—it accelerates it."

Future of AI in gaming

While the industry embraces AI's potential, some concerns remain, especially regarding energy consumption and sustainability. An audience member raised a critical question: As AI requires immense computing power, how will this impact the environment? Tulsiani acknowledged the concern but pointed out that AI is also driving energy-efficient computing models. "AI compute centers are being set up next to renewable energy sources like hydro and solar plants," he noted. "Yes, there's a cost, but new advancements in low-power AI computing are reducing that burden."

As Hussain summed up, "Every technological revolution brings fear. When cars replaced horse-drawn carriages, people thought jobs would disappear. Instead, new industries were born. The same is happening with AI in gaming. The future belongs to those who learn to use it, not fear it."