Stauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two Interactive, has made it clear that artificial intelligence will never replace the human creativity that drives the video game world’s biggest hits. Speaking at the CBNS Technology Executive Council Summit in New York, Zelnick highlighted that while AI is changing many industries, its effect on video game development is still very limited.

Zelnick first pointed out a legal challenge. Using AI to create games raises questions about intellectual property. “We have to protect our own intellectual property, but we also have to respect that of others. If you create a work with the help of AI, it’s not even clear whether it’s really protectable,” he explained, referring to ongoing legal issues between game companies and creators.

The bigger challenge, according to Zelnick, is creative. Even if there were no legal problems, he said, “if tomorrow we could press a button to have AI create a new Grand Theft Auto, the result would not be positive. It would still be something derivative.” AI can only work from existing data, he explained, so it cannot invent something truly original.

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Take-Two team

Zelnick praised Take-Two’s talented teams, noting their ability to craft living, detailed worlds. “The creativity of our group is extraordinary. What Rockstar Games does, and has always done, is strive for perfection. And creativity, by definition, cannot exist in an AI model,” he said.

He concluded that as long as creativity is a human trait, no algorithm can replace the magic of GTA.

Fans of the franchise also have something to look forward to. Zelnick confirmed that Grand Theft Auto 6 will release in May 2026 and, like its predecessors, is expected to set new global sales records.