Why CD Projekt Chose Not to Use Gen AI for Witcher 4

Polish game developer CD Projekt has decided against using generative AI technology for the upcoming Witcher 4 title.

During a recent conversation with investors, joint CEO Michał Nowakowski explained the decision, citing concerns over intellectual property issues. Generative AI typically draws from a wide range of existing materials, some of which may be copyrighted or included in training models without the owner’s explicit consent. This makes it challenging to trademark such content due to its lack of originality.

Nowakowski elaborated, “Last year, we formed a team to explore the potential of AI in our future projects, including the development of our own customized AI models. We’ve got a number of research initiatives in progress, but they’re not primarily centered around generative AI.”

He continued, “To be frank, generative AI poses significant challenges around legal IP ownership and other factors. So, when it comes to actually incorporating generative AI into our games, there’s nothing planned for Witcher 4 or any of our upcoming projects.”

Back in January 2024, CD Projekt acknowledged that AI could be beneficial in certain aspects of game development, but for now, the use of generative AI remains off the table for their major releases.