Nexon CEO Junghun Lee has defended Arc Raiders’ use of AI, arguing that “every game company is now using AI” to improve production efficiency, even as critics question the normalisation of generative tools in game development.
Nexon CEO Junghun Lee has defended Arc Raiders’ use of generative AI, saying it’s “important to assume that every game company is now using AI”.
Speaking to Japanese outlet GameSpark, the publisher’s boss said AI is already improving “efficiency in both game production and live-service operations,” while emphasising that human creativity remains the key differentiator in an increasingly AI-driven industry.
He explained: “If everyone is working with the same or similar technologies, the real question becomes: how do you survive?
“I believe it’s important to choose a strategy that increases your competitiveness.”
The comments come amid controversy over how Embark Studios, developer of Arc Raiders, uses AI in its production pipeline.
Embark previously clarified that the game does not use generative AI for creative content, instead employing machine learning and reinforcement learning to handle animations for its multi-legged drones.
Its text-to-speech system, meanwhile, uses AI-generated dialogue that’s recorded and licensed through contracted voice actors – a move the studio says allows it to handle dynamic voice lines, like item names and locations, more efficiently.
While Nexon’s defense aligns with major publishers like Electronic Arts and Square Enix, which have each described AI as central to their future operations, others in the industry remain skeptical.
AI in Games founder Tommy Thompson dismissed Lee’s remarks as overly broad, noting that “very few studios have gone all in on AI”.
Despite the debate, Arc Raiders has been a commercial success, selling over 4 million copies and reaching 700,000 concurrent players since launch.
Arc Raiders publisher Nexon defends using generative AI in the game
