Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 director says AI can help, but not replace, creatives

CD Projekt veteran Konrad Tomaszkiewicz has argued that while AI has a place in development, it should not replace people.

Speaking to Eurogamer, the development vet said that his new studio, Rebel Wolves, used AI to test lines for the upcoming RPG The Blood of Dawnwalker before voice actors were hired to perform them. This, Tomaszkiewicz claimed, was to assist in the creative process.

“We used AI for voices during the testing period of time before the recordings, because my experience from the previous projects was that you [understand] a lot more when you hear the voices, and we wanted to have it as soon as possible to test the game and iterate on it,” Tomaszkiewicz said

“And then when we decided the story was great and it worked, we started the proper recordings with the actors. This is the use of the AI we had in our company,” he said, “and I think that it’s quite reasonable.

He added: “But on this subject, I think that AI should help people and AI shouldn’t replace them.”

Tomaszkiewicz went on to say that he isn’t against the use of AI, but isn’t necessarily a fan of the current iteration of the tech.

“I’m not totally against AI,” he said, “but it needs to evolve to the place where it will be the tool which helps us, like Google Translate, not something which steals the author rights and creates the graphics or the animations because it learns from the creations of people.”

He continued: “I don’t believe that it will replace the creative people. It can help, but not replace them. I don’t feel that games created with only AI will have soul. I don’t believe it. Really.”

Tomaszkiewicz left CD Projekt in 2021, having spent over 17 years at the studio. During his tenure, he worked on all three Witcher titles, being promoted to game director for 2015’s Wild Hunt and its expansions. That was before another promotion to design director on Cyberpunk 2077, eventually rising to the position of VP of game development.

In 2022, he co-founded Rebel Wolves and by the end of the year had secured investment from NetEase.