Overview
- Speaking at the Semafor World Economy 2026 event, Strauss Zelnick argued AI raises productivity that leads to more jobs rather than broad unemployment.
- He said AI will handle busywork for game artists, citing tools that can auto-generate things like grass and textures so teams can focus on higher-value creative work.
- Using Elon Musk as a foil, Zelnick said that if AI truly replaced people at scale, it would target the most resourced and AI-savvy roles first, then joked Musk might be a simulation.
- The comments responded to Musk’s January claim that generative AI could let users create a Grand Theft Auto–style game before Rockstar releases GTA 6.
- Coverage also noted reporting that Take-Two recently disbanded a central AI unit, underscoring a gap between upbeat talk about AI’s promise and ongoing restructuring across tech and games.