Games Workshop has taken a firm stance against the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the development of its most iconic properties, including the popular Warhammer franchise. In a recent financial meeting, Kevin Rountree, the company’s CEO, confirmed that the use of AI is strictly prohibited for all employees in relation to the creation of figures, series, and video games related to the Warhammer universe. This decision aligns with the dark narrative of the franchise, where humanity faces an era of terror following the rebellion of artificial intelligences, a fact that has generated deep distrust towards technology.
A victory for miniature fans
Rountree highlighted that AI is a “very complex topic” and admitted not to be an expert in the field, although some senior executives are indeed experimenting with it. However, there were reservations about its application in the development of Warhammer. According to reports from IGN International, except for senior executives, the rest of the staff is prohibited from using AI in any creative process. This measure comes at a time when the use of AI has become a global trend, affecting everything from image creation to the supply of technological components.
The ban from Games Workshop resonates as an irony for the followers of the saga. In the lore of Warhammer, humanity became a target of the very AI systems it helped develop, resulting in a devastating war that marked the beginning of the Dark Age of Technology. During this peak of conflicts, the AIs, known as “Abominable Intelligence,” were considered heresies, something that contrasts notably with the growing implementation of technology observed in the video game industry and beyond.