Is AI being used by The Elder Scrolls 6 developer Bethesda Game Studios? Yes, but maybe not in the way you think. Todd Howard chatted about the divisive topic on the Kinda Funny Gamescast, noting that AI is “certainly not a fad.” That said, the Starfield and Fallout 4 game director expressed that Bethesda is “being incredibly cautious” and isn’t utilizing it at all for creative generation, like making quests or producing art.
Spotted by GamesRadar, Howard discussed how AI is constantly changing and Bethesda sees “it as a tool, like an analyst [to] look at the data in our games.” Howard noted this analytical side is where the studio is seeing the upside with AI as “it can help us get better at some big data tasks that just take us a lot of time.” That, in turn, lets them get “onto the creative stuff,” according to Howard. Once again, he believes in “handcrafted human intention,” something he touched upon before in December.
Howard talked about more than just AI on the podcast. He stated that The Elder Scrolls 6 will return to a classic Bethesda RPG style, as Fallout 76 and Starfield were like a “creative detour” for the studio. It was also reconfirmed that Creation Engine 3 will power The Elder Scrolls 6. Creation Engine 2 was behind Starfield, for reference. Speaking of which, Howard tempered some of the expectations behind Starfield 2.0.
