Xbox Strategy Lead: AI Is Already Used in Game Development

Brandon Stirrup, Xbox's head of strategy, said generative artificial intelligence is already being used widely in game development and that Xbox employs the technology in its workflows. His comments were deleted from the social network and he deactivated his account shortly afterward.

Stirrup's comments and account activity

In posts that were later removed, Stirrup said use of generative AI in the games industry is extensive and that those who claim they are not pursuing AI are pretending. He added, "If they fire me tomorrow, it will be because I told you a truth no one wants you to know." After the posts were deleted, Stirrup deactivated his account; copies of his messages remain accessible on Reddit.

Xbox's public position and Xbox Labs

Xbox has not issued a formal, detailed statement confirming the extent to which it uses generative AI in game development. The company did announce the formation of a team called Xbox Labs, noting that part of the team's mission relates to accelerating game porting using AI-assisted coding. The Xbox Labs announcement referenced potential AI use but did not explicitly confirm operational details.

Industry adoption and studio responses

Generative AI has become a contentious topic across the games industry. Several major publishers have either used or signaled plans to use AI in development:

• Capcom
• Square Enix
• Sega
• Activision
• Epic Games, whose CEO Tim Sweeney has publicly supported the technology

At the same time, a number of smaller and independent studios have objected to generative AI. Examples cited by industry coverage include Finji, the publisher of Tunic, and ConcernedApe, the developer of Stardew Valley.