As the industry continues to absorb the shock of GTA 6’s latest delay and the accompanying dip in Take-Two Interactive’s stock CEO Strauss Zelnick has offered fresh insight into how artificial intelligence is reshaping the future of game development. During a wide-ranging interview on CNBC’s Squawk Box, Zelnick discussed not only the shifting console landscape but also the emerging role of AI inside Rockstar Games and Take-Two’s broader studios.
AI’s Expanding Role Inside Rockstar and Beyond
One of the central questions the CNBC hosts put forward was whether AI could eventually learn from players and adapt dynamically during gameplay. Zelnick didn’t hesitate he believes this vision is not only possible but already in motion. While he stressed that Take-Two is still early in its adoption of advanced AI tools, he confirmed that the company is seeing “good, early results” in using AI to streamline development processes.
“Efficiencies,” Zelnick emphasized, is not shorthand for reducing staff. Instead, the goal is to remove repetitive, time-consuming tasks from developers’ workloads. “Efficiencies is code for taking away mundane tasks so people can focus on more interesting and more creative tasks.”
This philosophical stance aligns with what many industry veterans have long argued: AI should augment human creativity, not replace it. Within Rockstar known for intricate narrative work and complex open-world systems this means freeing writers, animators and designers from labor-intensive manual processes.
Smarter Characters Without Replacing Writers
Zelnick highlighted one of the biggest opportunities: AI-assisted character behavior. Historically, every interaction in a game had to be painstakingly scripted, especially in story-driven titles like those Rockstar produces. AI, he explained, offers a way to evolve those systems.
He envisions a pipeline where characters are trained on scripting created by human writers, allowing them to respond more naturally while still maintaining the narrative quality expected from Rockstar’s storytelling. “We always need great writers,” Zelnick said. “But characters should be able to be trained on that very scripting and then interact in a way that’s more natural.”
It’s a significant shift one that may make future Rockstar titles feel more reactive, more believable and more personal without sacrificing authored storytelling.
Can AI Make Games as Good as GTA 6?
Another question pushed the discussion into deeper waters: could AI ever enable anyone even those without expertise to make games that look as polished as GTA 6?
Zelnick’s answer was cautious but candid. “Never is a long time,” he said, acknowledging AI’s explosive progress. He conceded that AI could generate visuals that rival modern graphics. But building a complete blockbuster is another matter entirely.
“The moat,” he explained, “is not just the creation. It’s everything that goes around creating entertainment.” This includes the culture of studios like Rockstar places that attract top-tier creative talent—and the ecosystems required to market and distribute a global entertainment phenomenon.
In other words: AI might replicate pieces, but assembling a sprawling, cohesive, multimillion-dollar project is a far taller order. And it’s one Zelnick doesn’t see being automated anytime soon.
How AI Fits Into Rockstar’s Final Push on GTA 6
While Zelnick avoided specifics about GTA 6’s production, his comments paint a clear picture. AI is being used internally to streamline workflows as Rockstar pushes toward completion. Automating tedious tasks can speed iteration and polish, both of which are crucial for a project of this magnitude.
What AI is not doing is writing scripts, designing missions or replacing human creativity at Rockstar. Instead, it functions as a set of digital tools that accelerate existing processes—much like the shift from hand-animation to motion capture did in the past.
Rockstar’s standards are famously exacting, and those expectations won’t be handed over to an algorithm. But AI can help teams move faster, refine more and iterate longer without burning staff out on mechanical work.
AI as an Industry Force, Not a Replacement
Zelnick’s perspective reflects an industry-wide shift. Studios are exploring AI tools not as replacements for human creators but as multipliers of human capability. This approach mirrors trends in film, design and animation, where AI is increasingly used behind the scenes while creative vision remains firmly in human hands.
For a game as ambitious as GTA 6, that balance may be essential. The stakes are enormous, and expectations are unprecedented. AI will not write the game Rockstar will. But AI may help the studio deliver that vision with greater efficiency, precision and polish than ever before.
As the countdown to November 2026 continues, one thing is certain: the development of GTA 6 is not only a look into Rockstar’s future but into the future of game creation itself.