EA Pushes for Widespread AI Use: Developers Reportedly Unhappy

Electronic Arts (EA) is reportedly pushing its employees to use artificial intelligence (AI) in their daily work. The company is promoting AI in tasks such as coding, concept art, and more. However, this decision has not gone down well with many developers, who are questioning the technology’s efficiency.

A Business Insider^[1] report revealed that EA’s management is mandating increased AI use across teams. Several employees said that the company’s in-house chatbot, ReefGPT, is being pushed into “just about everything”.

AI is being used to generate code, though developers often have to clean it up afterwards. Even level design teams are being asked to help train the AI on their workflows. This has caused growing concern that the technology might eventually replace human developers. Some workers have also been told to use AI as a “thought partner” to boost productivity.

Layoffs and EA Employee Concerns

The same report cited a former senior employee from Respawn, who claimed that their team was laid off after EA started using AI in the Quality Assurance (QA) process. The system reportedly analysed play-test feedback to assist testing tasks.

EA’s CEO, Andrew Wilson, has defended AI since 2023, saying the technology would “augment our incredible teams”. Despite this reassurance, developers remain uneasy about its potential long-term effects.

EA has already gone through major changes this year. In September, the company confirmed a $55 billion acquisition deal involving Silver Lake, Affinity Partners, and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). The deal’s most controversial part was its leveraged buyout, leaving EA with around $20 billion in debt.

The Wider Industry Trend

AI’s growing role in gaming isn’t limited to EA. As previously covered by TechJuice^[2], former God of War executive Meghan Morgan Juinio recently defended generative AI, calling it a tool that enhances developer capabilities. She emphasised that AI will keep evolving, whether people support it or not.

Elsewhere, Subnautica 2 publisher Krafton has pledged to become an AI-first company, aiming to automate work and introduce AI-based management systems to boost efficiency.

AI continues to reshape the gaming industry. While companies see it as a productivity tool, many developers fear it could threaten jobs and game quality. Only time will tell whether this technological shift will truly benefit the industry or its workers.