AI is already getting used in game development, but it could soon expand even further when it comes to role-playing games, which are played by thousands and thousands of individuals, according to Hasbro’s CEO.
IN Thursday’s Goldman Sachs EventHasbro CEO Chris Cocks said the company is using AI internally to help create games in “primarily machine learning-based AI or proprietary AI, as opposed to the ChatGPT approach.” Hasbro will use AI in the future as a knowledge and development assistant, giving the technology a seat at the gaming table.
But the development is just one piece of the broader AI puzzle. Cocks says he’s more excited about how the technology could impact Hasbro customers’ day-to-day gameplay.
“If you look at the typical D&D player… I probably play with 30 or 40 people on a regular basis,” Cocks said. “There’s not a single person who isn’t using AI in some way to advance their campaign, develop their characters, or come up with story ideas. That’s a clear signal that we need to embrace that.”
Cocks provided examples of AI helping D&D players with storytelling and introductions, and said those use cases could apply to other brands inside the company. Hasbro’s file includes Transformers, Star Wars and Marvel. Over 50 million people throughout the world play Dungeons & Dragons.
In an interview with Entrepreneur in July, Cocks said that one of the most enjoyable projects he’s worked on was the revamp of Dungeons & Dragons fifth Edition, and he spoke more broadly about how Hasbro combines tradition with innovation as a company that’s been around for over 100 years.
“While history doesn’t repeat itself, it definitely rhymes — so Hasbro has faced major technological innovations and major changes in entertainment time and again,” he said at the time. “Probably the biggest lesson I’ve learned from that is to embrace change, not fight it. When we embrace it, [change]We win and we are at the top.”
During Thursday’s event, Cocks also stressed the importance of protected and responsible AI development, saying he would really like to see creators paid for their work and ensure AI-generated content is properly labeled.