GDC 2025 AI Executive Panel: Exploring What’s Next in Gaming
At EPAM, we see artificial intelligence (AI) as a catalyst for empowering game developers — thoughtfully integrated into development workflows to accelerate iteration, reduce friction and free up teams to focus on delivering impactful, player-first experiences. With our full-stack AI capabilities, we work closely with studios to identify where AI can drive real value — whether that’s speeding up content creation, improving live ops or automating repetitive tasks — so developers can focus on what matters most: creating great games.
At GDC 2025, EPAM brought together a diverse group of gaming visionaries and AI experts to explore the rapidly evolving role of AI within the gaming industry. Moderated by Vitalii Vashchuk, Head of Gaming Solutions at EPAM, the session featured industry leaders, including:
- Stef Corazza, Head of Roblox Studio, Roblox
- Haiyan Zhang, General Manager of AI Innovation and Science, Xbox
- Craig Nowell, Vice President of Global AI, Databricks
- Pierre-Paul Giroux, Vice President of AI Engineering, Unity
- Nibedita “Nivi” Baral, Chief Technology Officer, 2K
The robust conversation provided a deep dive into how AI is revolutionizing game development, enhancing creative processes, boosting productivity and fostering innovative gameplay experiences.
AI & Game Development: Faster, Smarter, More Creative
During the first part of the conversation, the panel focused on the ways AI is streamlining game development and creation.
“A good game is about rapid iteration, and AI makes that possible,” said Stef Corazza from Roblox, emphasizing how AI has tightened the iterative loop in game creation. Stef shared Roblox's approach to integrating AI into its tools, such as the Roblox Assistant, highlighting how AI bridges the gap between asset creation and coding. “AI can now combine these processes to create interactive experiences,” he noted, foreshadowing a future where AI capabilities become deeply embedded in development workflows.
Pierre-Paul Giroux from Unity echoed this, stressing AI’s role in enhancing productivity. “Eighty percent of game development time is often spent on repetitive systems, like first-person controllers or inventory systems. AI automates these tasks so developers can focus on what truly matters — the creative elements that make games unique.”
AI for Newcomers & Veterans: Bridging the Skills Gap
One of the most promising aspects of AI is its accessibility for new creators. Pierre-Paul highlighted the value of AI tools, like assistants within Unity, that enable non-experts to quickly prototype ideas. "Game engines can be intimidating for newcomers, but AI assistants can remove those barriers and help them ‘find the fun’ faster," he said.
Haiyan Zhang from Xbox emphasized the importance of integrating general AI into workflows in thoughtful and bespoke ways: “We’re seeing increased coding productivity, but the real value comes when these tools are customized to fit a studio’s particular assets and systems.” She added that AI is more than just a tool for efficiency; it's a pathway to democratizing game creation for all skill levels.
AI & the Gaming Experience
Beyond productivity gains, panelists explored AI’s potential to deepen player immersion. Nivi Baral, CTO of 2K, painted a picture of emotionally adaptive games that react to player behavior: “Imagine a game that understands when you’re frustrated or amazed — whether through facial recognition or how you mash the controls — and adapts its response to keep you engaged.”
Real-World Tips for Studios Entering AI
When asked for actionable advice for studios looking to integrate AI, Nivi had a strategic checklist:
- Start Small: Begin with simple use cases, like voice synthesis or procedural content generation, to learn how best to incorporate AI.
- Educate Teams: “Awareness and education are key,” she noted. Studios need to demystify AI and equip teams with hands-on workshops.
- Think Beyond Integration: “Deploying AI is not the finish line, it’s the starting point,” said Nivi, stressing the importance of feedback loops and continual tuning.
- Ethical AI: Ensure privacy, remove biases and maintain robust governance from the start.
Craig Nowell from Databricks added that data governance is a foundational step: “Without strong data practices and controls, you’re flying blind. Build a semantic or vectorized layer early for analytics and scalability.”
Human Creativity & AI: Not a Replacement but a Partnership
Throughout the discussion, participants reinforced a guiding theme — AI is a tool to amplify human ingenuity, not replace it.
“AI isn't the creative genius — it’s the assistant,” said Pierre-Paul. “It drives efficiency but must keep the human in the loop.” Nivi added, “In the fast-paced AI race, what will define success is how we balance technical innovation with ethical considerations and artistic intent.”
Wishlist for 2025: The Next Level of AI Potential
When asked about their dream for AI by 2025, panelists envisioned transformative improvements:
- From Hype to Value: “Let’s move beyond the AI buzzword,” Pierre-Paul urged. “The conversation should be about real value for players and devs, not just toys.”
- Security: Craig flagged security as a core initiative moving forward. “Make security the first foundational principle, right? Because this technology is new. It’s ever evolving, and our instincts are not there yet to think around and look around corners of where hackers are going with it and where things can go wrong.”
- Lower Costs for Innovation: Stef expressed excitement about unlocking entirely new gameplay genres with cheaper cloud AI models. “As costs drop, we’ll explore creative experiences that wouldn’t have been feasible before.”
- Universal Accessibility: Haiyan emphasized the importance of ensuring AI-driven tools work for everyone, from big-budget studios to independent creators. More diverse approaches could lead to what she described as “a new category of citizen game-makers.”
Building the Future Together
The panelists left the audience inspired by the opportunities AI brings to gaming but grounded in the necessity of thoughtful implementation. As Haiyan summed up, “We need to work as an industry to ensure AI creates real, scalable value for developers and players. Because, if we don’t, someone else will design that future for us.”
What new genres, tools and experiences will come from this transformative time? It’s an exciting question, and the panel made clear one thing: The best days of gaming innovation are ahead, driven by a powerful collaboration between humans and machines.
Watch the full panel video here.
