Of the 500+ AI tools tested by a leading game dev tech provider, only ‘half a dozen’ help ‘in the right way’
Keywords Studios, a major games industry technology and services provider, has published findings on the effectiveness of AI tools for game development. According to Jon Gibson, the company’s head of transformation, while the gaming industry has increasingly adopted AI development tools, the vast majority fall short of meaningful utility.
Keywords Studios tested over 500 AI tools for game development applications and found that only approximately half a dozen provide helpful assistance “in the right way.” Gibson characterized the current state of AI adoption as being “in the chaos phase,” suggesting the technology landscape remains immature and fragmented for game developers seeking practical solutions.
The company, founded in 1998 and based in Ireland, has supported development on major titles including Dune Awakening, Marvel Rivals, Still Wakes the Deep, Alan Wake Remastered, Dead Island 2, and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. Its assessment reflects a broader industry challenge: while game studios recognize AI’s potential and have begun integrating AI-powered tools into their workflows, most available solutions lack practical effectiveness for production environments.
The findings suggest that despite widespread interest and rapid tool proliferation, the games industry may need to focus on quality over quantity when evaluating AI solutions for development pipelines.