Dan Houser is testing AI tools on his next game but he’s not buying the hype. The former Rockstar Games co-founder told Channel 4 show Sunday Brunch that his new studio is dabbling with artificial intelligence during development, but that it’s “not as useful as some of the companies would have you believe yet.”
Houser co-founded Rockstar in 1998 and served as lead writer on Grand Theft Auto III through V and both Red Dead Redemption games. He left the company in early 2020 after taking extended leave following Red Dead Redemption 2‘s grueling production. He now runs Absurd Ventures, a new studio working on games and other media.
Houser positions AI as an assistive tool rather than a creative replacement. He’s open to using it where it speeds up specific tasks but skeptical of marketing promises that suggest AI can already handle major parts of game development.
Current AI applications in games typically include prototyping art assets, drafting technical documentation, generating placeholder content, and assisting with code snippets. All of these require heavy human oversight.
The technology has real limitations. AI models frequently output incorrect information with total confidence. They struggle with consistent style and character nuance in long-form creative work.
Integration into large development pipelines remains complicated. Legal issues around training data and copyright status of AI-generated assets remain unresolved.
During the same interview cycle, Houser shared personal opinions on Rockstar franchises that got picked up as if they were company policy. He said he’s not aware of Red Dead Redemption 3 being in development, though he’s been gone for nearly five years and wouldn’t necessarily know.
He also stated Grand Theft Auto should always take place in the United States because the series works best satirizing American culture. That’s a creative philosophy, not a binding rule for future games.
Why this actually matters
Houser represents a high-profile veteran creative pushing back against AI hype at a time when investors and executives see the technology as a way to cut costs and staff.
His stance fits with many developers who view AI as a tool rather than a replacement. It offers a counterpoint to narratives suggesting AI will drastically shorten AAA development timelines or eliminate creative roles anytime soon.
