id Software’s former co-owner says they absolutely would’ve used gen AI back in the day: ‘John Carmack would be like making Skynet or something’
Tim Willits, former co-owner of id Software and current Chief Creative Officer at Saber Interactive, expressed confidence that the legendary studio would have eagerly adopted generative AI technology if it had been available during their development heyday. Joking that John Carmack, id Software’s co-founder, would have been “making Skynet or something” with AI at his disposal, Willits suggested the technology aligns with the innovative spirit that defined the studio’s legacy of groundbreaking games.
His comments reflect an ongoing industry debate about generative AI’s role in game development. While acknowledging some potentially useful applications, Willits touched on significant concerns that have emerged: rising hardware costs partly driven by AI demand and job displacement among developers and artists. The gaming industry remains polarized on the issue, with some executives championing AI as transformative while creators and workers voice skepticism about the technology’s implementation and the associated hype.
Willits’ remarks highlight a key tension in the AI discussion—whether it represents a natural evolution of development tools that pioneering studios would naturally embrace, or whether current concerns about deployment, impact on workers, and excessive corporate enthusiasm warrant a more cautious approach.