Google Cloud Boss: 90% of Studios Use AI - But Not All Talk About It

Almost all major game studios are already using artificial intelligence in development, but prefer not to publicize it. This was shared in an interview by the head of gaming at Google Cloud, Jack Buser.

At the same time, AI is no longer limited to game development alone. It is rapidly expanding across the broader entertainment industry — including streaming, digital media, and even online gambling platforms. For example, LolaJack casino incorporates an MMORPG-style universe into its design, heavily enhanced with AI-generated art embedded throughout its UI. This reflects a wider shift: AI is becoming a core creative tool across entertainment, not just a behind-the-scenes assistant.

According to Buser, AI helps automate routine tasks — from idea generation to the creation of secondary content. Tools like Gemini and Nano Banana Pro reduce part of the workload for teams, allowing them to focus on what truly matters. At the same time, developers often choose to stay quiet about using AI due to potential negative reactions from audiences.

I think gamers don’t realize that their favorite games are already being created with the use of AI. These projects [created with AI] are already out. We conducted a survey during Gamescom last summer among studios worldwide. About nine out of ten developers told us: ‘yes, we use AI.’

At the same time, other studies show figures closer to 40–50%.

And you might ask yourself: that’s still a lot — nearly half of all developers. Where does the difference come from? It’s in the willingness of studios to openly say that they actually use AI.”
— Jack Buser

As an example, Buser mentioned Capcom. According to him, the company uses AI to speed up production and free up resources for higher-priority tasks.

They [Capcom] use Nano Banana and Gemini to quickly generate countless ideas, and then use Gemini to select and organize them… from thousands of options, it chooses those most likely to be interesting to the art director.”

Then the art director takes these ideas and guides the team of artists to work with them. AI has already pre-filtered and selected, say, the most suitable ‘pebbles by the roadside,’ so all the team’s creative energy goes into what really matters — the main character, major enemies, key scenes, objects, and so on.”
— Jack Buser

Interestingly, Capcom has previously emphasized that it does not integrate generative AI-created assets directly into its games. However, the company is indeed testing such technologies across various departments to improve workflow efficiency.

Although gamers remain skeptical about AI for now, Buser is confident that player attitudes will change over time.

People will begin to understand that AI actually helps deliver their favorite games faster. And the industry becomes more innovative because there’s more room for risk: instead of waiting seven years for one project, a studio can make five games. Maybe only two will be hits, but that’s fine — the other three will still be interesting and unusual, and they simply wouldn’t have been made under the old model.”

When this starts happening at full scale — and it already is — you’ll see how attitudes begin to shift.”
— Jack Buser