How AI World Models Are Changing Video Games

Source: Dev.to

What Are AI World Models?

AI “world models” are advanced systems that simulate 3D environments, including objects, spaces, and how things move and interact. Instead of drawing every tree, building, or room by hand, developers can describe what they want and let the model generate a full scene.

• World Labs’ Marble can turn text prompts, photos, videos, or rough 3D layouts into complete, editable 3D worlds.
• DeepMind’s Genie 3 can create minutes of real‑time, interactive 3D environments at HD resolution from simple prompts, generating one frame at a time while keeping the scene consistent.

These models export assets as meshes or similar formats that can be imported into game engines like Unity or Unreal, rather than trying to replace them completely. For non‑technical people, you can think of this as “Photoshop for worlds” rather than just pictures.

Why Game Studios Are Excited

Large “triple‑A” games now often cost hundreds of millions of dollars and many years of work, putting extreme pressure on teams. AI world models promise to handle some of the repetitive, time‑consuming work so humans can focus on design and storytelling.

Key benefits studios are hoping for

• Lower costs and faster production – Generating large background environments and ambient spaces automatically could shrink art and level‑design time.
• Smaller teams, bigger worlds – Teams might build worlds that previously required large studios and huge budgets.
• More room for creative experiments – DeepMind researchers say game creation could be “completely transformed” in the next few years.
• New uses beyond games – World Labs’ Marble is already being pitched for virtual production, visual effects, and VR experiences.

A producer who moved from Ubisoft to DeepMind hopes world models will free teams to “discover the fun,” try new ideas, and take more creative risks instead of spending all their time on production grind.

Why Workers and Unions Are Pushing Back

While companies talk about creativity and efficiency, many workers are worried about job security, stress, and how AI will actually be used.

Major concerns

• Layoffs and weaker job security – European game unions say tens of thousands of industry jobs have disappeared in recent years while AI tools and cost‑cutting spread. Their joint statement warns that generative AI is being imposed alongside layoffs and strict “return to office” rules, undermining working conditions.
• Loss of control over tools and workflow – Unions argue that AI is often introduced without meaningful input from staff, even though it directly affects their daily work and career paths.
• Ethical and quality worries – Surveys such as the GDC State of the Industry report show more developers now see generative AI as harmful to the industry, citing IP theft, energy use, and lower‑quality content.

In short, studios see AI as a way to “do more with less,” while many workers fear it will mean “do the same or more with fewer people.”