Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick on Rockstar using AI in GTA 6: The game is built from…

Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick has revealed that the company makes extensive use of AI and “always has,” but it is deployed in tools rather than creativity. Zelnick emphasised that while the company uses AI and machine learning extensively across its operations, including in studios, these tools are meant to improve efficiency rather than replace creative work. The CEO of Rockstar's parent company drew a clear distinction between using AI as a tool and relying on it to generate content. In a recent interview, Zelnick confirmed that “generative AI has zero part in what Rockstar Games is building" for GTA 6. He also noted that the game is completely "handcrafted" and is “built from the ground up, building by building, street by street, neighbourhood by neighbourhood.” Zelnick’s comments came before the release of the company's Q3 financial results. A week after the results, the company's stock price fell to an 11-month low following Google's announcement of its experimental AI "playable world" tool, Project Genie.While talking to GamesIndustry.biz, Zelnick said,“On the topic of AI, I've been enthusiastic since the very beginning. This company's products have always been built with machine learning and artificial intelligence. We've actually always been a leader in the space, and right now we have hundreds of pilots and implementations across our company, including within our studios. And we're already seeing instances where generative AI tools are driving costs and time efficiencies. That said, do I think tools by themselves create great entertainment properties? No, there's no evidence that that's the case, and it won't be the case in the future. Specifically with regard to GTA 6, generative AI has zero part in what Rockstar Games is building. Their worlds are handcrafted. That's what differentiates them. They're built from the ground up, building by building, street by street, neighbourhood by neighbourhood. They're not procedurally generated; they shouldn't be. That's what makes great entertainment.”Earlier, he told CNBC that “there is no creativity that can exist by definition in any AI model, because it is data-driven.”Take Two's last earnings call in October 2025 was headlined by GTA 6 being delayed for the second time, to a new date of November 19th. However, this time, Zelnick said he is confident that the date will be met. The company also posted strong financial results and even raised its expectations for the current financial year ending March 31.