King's Latest Round Of Layoffs Will Make You Scared Of AI

When people talk about AI (Artificial Intelligence) in game development, it’s usually not in a good light. While AI may be a useful tool to assist in tasks, the emerging technology is often viewed as something that will threaten developer jobs in the future.

It appears that the future is now for one studio and its employees, as AI is being identified as the primary cause of job losses.

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‘Blackbird’ devs aren’t fired yet, though the end is near.

The latest report paints a grim picture of the implementation of AI in game development and how quickly it can work against employees.

King Reportedly Made Job Cuts Due To AI Replacing Personnel

The latest studio affected by AI is said to be mobile developer King, the studio behind the mega-hit Candy Crush franchise, and one of the companies Microsoft absorbed as part of its Activision-Blizzard acquisition.

A report by MobileGamer claims that over 200 King employees are being laid off, and to make matters worse, multiple King employees have stated that they are being replaced by the AI tools they built and trained.

One staff member even mentioned they are being targeted by HR (Human Resources) for loudly expressing dissatisfaction internally. It’s not surprising, then, that a recent internal survey showed studio morale is at an all-time low, described as being “in the gutter.”

King management allegedly told staff that they would present a new org chart in September after union negotiations.

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Thousands of jobs have reportedly been reduced affecting multiple divisions.

Bear in mind, these are all unconfirmed reports, and as such, should be treated with a grain of salt. That said, the report aligns with the turmoil within Microsoft Gaming as of late, and according to reports, it’s not over yet.

When it comes to AI, the French voice actors of Apex Legends took a hard stand against publisher Electronic Arts earlier this year, when they were given new contracts to train AI that could potentially replace them. If that’s not icky enough, a recent report from earlier this month claims that Microsoft was “trying their damnest” to replace devs at Halo Studios with AI.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: the only people pushing for AI are the people who stand to profit from them. Let’s hope that there’s a solution on the horizon for this, or we’ll see a lot more developers lose their livelihoods.