Designs for "Warhammer" & Co.: Games Workshop prohibits employees from using AI
Unlike many companies, Games Workshop has recently hired creatives, and they are not allowed to use AI for their designs. Meanwhile, business is booming.
(Image: Jose Miguel Sanchez / Shutterstock.com)
The British toy manufacturer Games Workshop, best known for its tabletop brand Warhammer, has prohibited its employees from using AI in their creative work. This was announced by the CEO in the latest business report, who explained that this also concerns the protection of the company's own brand rights. Anyone creating content or designs is not allowed to use AI technology for assistance. In the report, Kevin Rountree also made the unusual admission that he is not an AI expert. While some of his executives are, "none of them are particularly enthusiastic about it yet." However, they are allowed to continue testing the technology.
Praise for the Creatives
While other companies are currently hesitant to hire new staff in the face of rapid AI technology development or are explicitly reducing jobs with reference to AI, Games Workshop has recently even hired more creatives. Talented and passionate people are what make Warhammer the "rich and inspiring brand" that is so valued within the company and by fans.
With this praise, the company also sets itself apart from other companies in the entertainment industry. Just on Monday, the Belgian video game studio Larian announced after strong criticism from its own fans that no AI-generated content will be used in the concept development for the upcoming game "Divinity".
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Games Workshop was founded in London in 1975, followed by its IPO in 1994. About ten years ago, the share price picked up noticeably, and for a good year now, the company has been among the 100 highest-grossing companies in the United Kingdom, with its shares being part of the FTSE 100. Last year, the shares were among the most successful, and in the past 12 months, the price has risen by almost 40 percent. According to the business report, both revenue and pre-tax profits have grown strongly recently, and Rountree expressed extreme satisfaction with the results. However, because the Christmas business performed worse than expected, the share price then declined somewhat.
(mho)
