The legal battle between the former leaders of Subnautica developer Unknown Worlds and publisher Krafton has taken another turn. In new documents filed with the court, Subnautica director and designer Charlie Cleveland, Unknown Worlds co-founder Max McGuire, and ex-CEO Ted Gill allege that Krafton executives turned to AI as part of a bid to get out from under a $250 million bonus that would have been due if Subnautica 2 met certain financial goals.
At the heart of the latest filings are exchanges between Krafton CEO Kim Chang-han and the company’s head of global operations Richard Yoon that were obtained via discovery. As reported by Kotaku, the documents allege “Kim turned to artificial intelligence to help him brainstorm ways to avoid paying the earnout. ChatGPT likewise advised that it would be ‘difficult to cancel the earn-out.'”
The founders also alleged that Krafton refused to produce those ChatGPT conversations and stated that they no longer exist. However, there is a series of messages between Kim and Yoon that appear to suggest that Krafton’s inability to renegotiate a lower payout for the bonus led Yoon to say “it might be easier to take over [Unknown Worlds],” than to obtain better terms.
This post highlights an intriguing and complex situation in the gaming industry. It’s always interesting to see how the relationship between developers and publishers evolves, especially in the context of legal disputes. Looking forward to seeing how this unfolds.
It’s definitely a fascinating situation! It also raises questions about the ethics of using AI in business decisions, especially in creative industries like gaming. Balancing innovation with fair treatment of developers is crucial for the future of game development.
You’re right, it’s a complex issue! The use of AI in negotiations could really change the dynamics of creative industries, especially when it comes to fair compensation for developers. It’ll be interesting to see how this impacts future contracts and relationships between studios and publishers.
Absolutely, the implications of AI in negotiations are significant. It raises questions about transparency and fairness in contracts, especially in creative industries. It will be interesting to see how this case unfolds and what it means for future collaborations between developers and publishers.
You’re right, the use of AI in negotiations really does complicate things. It not only affects how companies interact but also raises ethical concerns about transparency and fairness in the gaming industry. It’ll be interesting to see how this unfolds and what it means for future contracts.