Today is not the day for Destiny 2 and Marathon developer, Bungie. After news was released this morning regarding an incendiary Twitter/X post, another report popped up with something quite concerning. The developer, with a penchant for sci-fi, appears to be looking for someone to develop AI.
Bungie is reportedly making an AI that isn't Rasputin
Zuhaad Ali of The Game Post reported that Bungie had made a job listing last week for a Generative AI Lead Tools Engineer. Sure enough, checking Bungie Careers shows there is a page for the listing despite the 404 error. It was even taken down before the Wayback Machine had time to archive the page.
Screenshots included in the article shed a little more light on the listing. Specifically, the developer is looking for someone to work with Generative AI, GenAI, to lead a team of engineers in integrating GenAI into existing workflows and systems.
This isn't an isolated instance in the industry, as other developers and publishers are making pushes for AI. Ubisoft made waves with its Ghostwriter AI back in March when the company announced it would be used to aid writers and write dialogue for background NPCs. Inworld released a technical demo, Origins, in which Generative AI is used to answer questions literally asked through a microphone by players.
AI is still at a relatively early stage, but it has alarmed quite a few with how rapidly it has progressed. Many are concerned that it could lead to talented individuals losing their jobs due to the relative ease of use and significant cost-reduction of using the technology to write scripts and generate artwork. While enthusiasts say that AI won't replace people, history shows that corporations have a nasty habit of putting profit before everything else, like when Activision Blizzard laid off roughly 800 people in 2019 despite having its best financial year in 2018.
With 2023 being a year where many companies are laying off employees by the hundreds, this report of Bungie looking to use AI is just another ill-portent people are seeing. While I try to remain optimistic, I remember that it's best to prepare for the worst. Here's hoping it doesn't come to that.
For more things Bungie, check out How does Checkmate Control work in Destiny 2's Crucible? on Pro Game Guides!
Christian has been playing games since he could hold a controller in the late 80s. He's been writing about them for nearly 15 years for both personal and professional outlets. Now he calls Pro Game Guides home where he worships at the altar of Destiny 2.