Epic Games Encourages AI Use for Disney Game Development

Epic Games is reportedly encouraging its employees to utilize artificial intelligence in the development of a new game featuring characters from Disney's Marvel and Star Wars franchises. This initiative follows the company's decision to lay off 1,000 employees in March due to a reported decline in engagement with its popular game Fortnite. The layoffs have raised concerns as those employees were integral to projects that could enhance engagement. According to a Bloomberg report, the company underestimated the workforce needed for the Disney project, resulting in delays. The project is now described as 'AI first.' Employees expressed surprise at the announcement that the game would be developed using 'full AI workflows' instead of traditional coding methods. A spokesperson for Epic confirmed the shift, stating, 'We’re embracing AI-accelerated development, led by Epic developers who are the visionaries and creative drivers for everything we do.' Disney has not commented on the report, but the company previously expressed interest in incorporating user-generated AI content into its Disney+ app.