GTA 6 Company Boss Says AI Can Be Used For Evil, But “Woe Is Me” Risk Is Overblown

Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two Interactive, has weighed in on artificial intelligence concerns, urging people to move past what he characterizes as an overblown “woe is me” risk narrative during a recent appearance at Semafor’s World Economy 2026 event.

While acknowledging that AI, like other technologies, can be used for evil purposes, Zelnick pushed back against widespread concerns about AI’s impact on creative employment. Discussing how developers at Take-Two’s studios—including 2K Games and Rockstar Games—approach technology, he emphasized that AI tools can improve production pipelines by automating “mundane” tasks.

Zelnick argued that fears of mass unemployment in creative fields due to AI advancements are overblown. To support his position, he cited Elon Musk as evidence, suggesting somewhat tongue-in-cheek that if anyone’s job was at risk from AI, it would be Musk’s—not those of artists and developers. The comment appeared to reference earlier speculation about whether games like Grand Theft Auto 6 could be generated entirely by AI.

The Take-Two executive’s remarks reflect a perspective increasingly common among major tech and entertainment leaders: that while AI poses legitimate concerns requiring oversight, the catastrophic creative job losses often discussed in doomist narratives are unlikely to materialize in the near term. His stance positions AI as a tool for enhancing creative workflows rather than replacing human creativity in the gaming industry.

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