AI already used by 62% of studios, Unity report claims

18.03.2024 - 15:07 / eurogamer.net / Ai

AI may seem like something of a dirty word at the moment, but 62 percent of studios are using AI at some point during game development.

That's according to a new report by game engine maker Unity, which reveals that more and more development studios are adopting AI tools to make time and efficiency savings.

In 2022 the average time to launch for games was 218 days; now it's 304 days, the report states. 71 percent of studios responding to the survey said AI had improved their delivery and operations, to reduce that time to launch.

So what exactly is AI being used for? The number one use of AI is for improving character animations, followed by writing code — or at least speeding up the process. That's closely followed by both generating art and levels, writing and narrative design, and automated playtesting.

A key reason for using AI is to shorten the time spent prototyping. The report states that 68 percent of developers surveyed chose to use AI to speed up prototyping. In 2023, 96 percent of studios spent three months or less prototyping in comparison to 85 percent the year prior when it took longer.

Another area for AI usage is for world building, utilised by 56 percent of AI adopters. Of those, 64 percent used AI to develop NPCs to populate worlds.

This is matched by a further report from Inworld, an AI company that last year partnered with Microsoft to offer AI tools to developers.

According to Inworld, 3-in-4 developers are «excited» about AI NPCs. It reported generative animations and textures are the most likely AI tools to be adopted, followed by AI created NPCs. Almost half of the developers surveyed by Inworld believe over 40 percent of studios will adopt AI NPCs.

On the flip side, are there reasons against using AI? Unity's report states 43 percent of developers surveyed who are hesitant about AI are interested but don't have the time, while 24 percent don't have the technical knowhow. The remainder of respondents either didn't know AI was possible, or didn't know its purpose. Only three percent selected «Other», which may have included more ethical reasoning.

Unity's report is based on data from developers using its engine and tools, as well as a survey from market research firm Cint in 2023 with 300 respondents. It should be noted this survey is likely skewed towards smaller, mobile projects using Unity that may be more likely to implement AI solutions.

The results here from Unity on AI adoption is slightly higher than a recent GDC survey, which surveyed not just developers but