AI tools have never been easier for the average person to use. Everywhere we go, AI has been woven into the tools and platforms we interact with daily. Even a simple Google search produces an AI-generated answer before traditional website links appear. Artificial intelligence is no longer experimental, it is embedded in everyday life.
This raises an important question: how are the creative members of society making use of it?
In this post, I will summarize a research paper by Sultan A. Alharthi that explores how professional game designers are leveraging generative AI, and how they perceive its role in the gaming industry.
Before diving into the research, it is important to understand the technology itself.
What is Generative AI?
Generative AI is a form of artificial intelligence that creates new content, text, images, audio, code, or even 3D models, based on patterns it has learned from massive datasets. Unlike traditional AI systems that focus on classification or prediction (for example, identifying whether an image contains a cat), generative AI produces entirely new outputs in response to a text prompt.
In the context of game design, generative AI can:
Create first-draft dialogue for non-playable characters (NPCs)
Generate concept art, textures, and visual assets
Assist in programming and debugging
Produce sound effects or music
Help designers prototype mechanics quickly
Prototyping is especially important in game development. A prototype is a simplified version of a game used to test mechanics and player experience before full production begins. Generative AI dramatically reduces the time required to move from idea to playable concept.
This leads to the core question explored in Alharthi’s paper: does generative AI enhance creativity, or does it risk constraining innovation?
The paper investigates how professional game designers perceive and use generative AI tools in their creative workflows.
Alharthi surveyed and interviewed professional game designers to understand:
What tasks AI is used for
Designers’ perceptions of the benefits and drawbacks
Future intentions on the use of AI
Key Findings
The findings show widespread adoption across the industry:
90.5% of designers used generative AI for ideation and brainstorming.
83% used it for asset creation.
74% used it for programming support.
Over half used it for dialogue generation.
Just under half used it for music and sound design.
It is very likely that most designers had used AI in at least two different workflows.
More than 80% of respondents reported that they plan to continue using AI in future projects.
Reported Benefits
Designers identified several major advantages:
Faster idea generation
Automation of repetitive tasks
Reduced workload
Lower production barriers for indie developers
More room for experimentation
Large studios such as Ubisoft have even developed internal generative AI tools to assist narrative designers in producing first-draft NPC dialogue.
Reported Risks
However, designers also expressed concerns:
Ethical and legal uncertainty due to copyrighted training data
Risk of generic or homogenized game design
Long-term narrative inconsistency
Creative dependency on AI tools
Reduction in entry-level job opportunities
The paper concludes that generative AI is neither purely beneficial nor purely harmful. Instead, its impact depends on how responsibly and intentionally it is integrated into workflows.
How does it impact the mobile development industry?
Although the research focuses on game designers broadly, its implications strongly apply to mobile games and app-based interactive experiences.
Mobile development operates under tight constraints; limited budgets, small teams, fast release cycles, and intense competition in app marketplaces. Generative AI has the potential to reshape this environment significantly.
Mobile developers can leverage generative AI for:
Rapid prototyping of casual games
Procedural level generation for replayability
Personalized dialogue systems
Dynamic in-app storytelling
Automated asset generation for indie mobile studios
For solo developers or small teams, AI-generated assets reduce reliance on large art departments. This lowers financial barriers and enables faster production timelines.
However, the same accessibility could flood app stores with low-effort, AI-generated games. If anyone can create a functional game with minimal effort, discoverability becomes even more difficult, and overall quality standards may decline.
Personal Opinion:
In my opinion, generative AI is currently a slight net positive for game and mobile development.
The removal of repetitive tasks is undeniably beneficial. Few developers enjoy creating placeholder assets or writing boilerplate code. Offloading that work to AI allows designers to focus on higher-level creative decisions.
What excites me most is the empowerment of indie developers. Passionate creators can now build and publish mobile games without massive funding.
However, I am deeply concerned about two issues:
1. Entry-Level Job Reduction
If beginner-level tasks are automated, fewer junior positions will exist. This creates a long-term industry issue. Without hands-on experience, future developers will struggle to build the expertise needed for senior positions. There are enough industries being gutted of their entry-level positions and this is not helping.
2. Market Saturation and Low-Effort Apps
If it only takes a single prompt to generate a functional mobile game, digital stores, such as Steam, could become oversaturated with low-quality content. Discoverability for genuinely innovative projects may become even harder.
Additionally, creative dependency is a real risk. If designers rely too heavily on AI for ideation, originality may gradually decline. Innovation often comes from constraints and deep engagement, not from instant generation.
Overall, generative AI should be treated as a creative collaborator, not a creative replacement. When used responsibly, especially in early prototyping, it enhances productivity and experimentation. When used carelessly, it risks weakening craftsmanship and professional growth.
Its long-term impact on the mobile development industry will depend entirely on how thoughtfully developers integrate it into their workflows.
References:
Sultan A. Alharthi (2025, May 24). Generative AI in Game Design: Enhancing Creativity or Constraining Innovation?
https://www.mdpi.com/2079-3200/13/6/60
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