‘Clones don’t sell’: GTA 6 parent Take Two’s CEO Strauss Zelnick on whether AI can create hit games like GTA series

GTA 6 is set to launch in a few months. Before that, Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick has shared his views on whether artificial intelligence (AI) can create a hit game comparable to Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto franchise. While expressing support for AI tools in game development, Zelnick argued that the technology cannot replace originality and creative thinking required to build successful entertainment products.Speaking on a podcast hosted by David Senra, Zelnick said AI can improve efficiency and assist with development tasks, but creating culturally influential games is a different challenge. The executive added that AI may be able to generate games that look similar but not original hits. “AI could create another GTA lookalike, but clones don't sell,” Zelnick said.“Remember what AI is, despite the fact that there are people in Silicon Valley who don't want you to believe this. It's big data sets, lots of compute, and a large language model mushed together. That's what they are. So, data sets by their very nature are backward-looking,” he added.Zelnick said AI currently performs well in areas such as asset generation, but does not necessarily translate into creating successful games.“AI so far is really great at asset creation, but hit creation isn't asset creation,” he said.His comments come as AI adoption expands across the gaming industry, raising questions about whether automated tools could reduce development costs or disrupt established publishers. Zelnick dismissed concerns that easier access to AI tools would fundamentally change who can create games.“Anyone can make a video game last week. Anyone could make a video game five years ago. The technology is readily available. It's commoditized,” he explained.The Take-Two CEO has previously said that employees are encouraged to use AI tools from companies such as Anthropic and Google. However, he argued that increased productivity does not automatically mean games become cheaper or faster to develop.“Everyone understands this creates more work, not less work. When you make certain things easier, your appetite gets greater,” Zelnick said earlier.