The discussion about the impact of artificial intelligence on the gaming sector gained prominence on Tuesday, July 9, 2026, during Gamescom Latam. A recent panel, mediated by expert Rodrigo “Chips” Scharnberg, pointed out the use of AI in games as an irreversible path. The debate centered on the question of whether technology will replace developers or simply transform game creation.

This new technological reality divides the opinion of professionals in the field, with some seeing AI as the biggest revolution in the history of games and others perceiving it as an imminent threat to creative jobs.

Current applications of artificial intelligence in game development

Although the greatest impact of AI is visible in the production of visual elements, such as artwork for games, the tool operates in several other areas without directly affecting the end player’s experience. In the past, creating concept art could take weeks; Currently, AI can generate dozens of images in seconds, serving as a starting point for artists’ work and optimizing development.

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Artificial intelligence has also proven valuable as a prototyping tool and in the initial stage of projects, helping to verify the viability of ideas. Furthermore, with the practice known as “Vibe Coding”, it is possible to recreate popular titles, such as Minecraft, without having to write a single line of code.

For those unfamiliar with the concept, “Vibe Coding” refers to software development through AI, where the programmer describes his intentions in natural language, and artificial intelligence is responsible for generating the corresponding code or algorithm.

Artificial intelligence can replace tasks, but not people

It is essential to understand that the different tasks in developing a game persist. It is still necessary to conceive the movement of the characters, such as jumping and running, and the behavior of the enemies must be imagined and drawn. The central idea of ​​a game continues to depend on human creativity, requiring a developer to coordinate AIs to initially execute these tasks, which will later need to be refined and finalized.

Risk of market saturation with the massification of games

One of the great dangers of AI may not be the replacement of developers, but rather the flooding of the market with a quantity of games much greater than the consumption capacity. In 2025, SteamDB recorded the release of 21,406 titles on the Steam platform, a constant growth since 2014, except for 2019. With AI, the concern is that digital stores will be even more populated by “shovelware”, low-quality mass-produced games, making it difficult for higher-value titles to be visible and requiring increasingly robust marketing campaigns to make them stand out.

Restructuring and impact of artificial intelligence on industry jobs

It is undeniable that AI will influence both game development and the employment landscape. A wave of layoffs has been observed not only in large corporations outside the gaming sector, such as Meta, which laid off 8,000 employees, but also in gaming companies such as Epic, with 1,000 layoffs, and Xbox, which, together with Microsoft, laid off 4,800 employees. In the case of Microsoft, artificial intelligence appears as a catalyst for layoffs, adding to a restructuring process that involves the sale of studios and a redefinition of investment areas and hierarchy. This movement, according to experts, reflects trends already seen in industries such as music, writing, cinema and painting.

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The future of game creation: collaboration between humans and artificial intelligence

The most likely path for the future belongs to developers who can integrate artificial intelligence into their workflow. Technology is seen by some as a threat and by others as a definitive solution, but the truth lies somewhere in between. AI is a consolidated reality and its presence in games will only increase. The focus is no longer on its insertion in the industry, but on the role of human creativity in this new context. Art and entertainment are, in essence, human expressions made for humans. Therefore, even if AI creates innovative mechanics, the success of games lies in something beyond: the engaging narrative combined with captivating gameplay, aspects that represent the most genuine contribution of human beings to any artistic or entertainment manifestation.

After discussions with experts and industry professionals at Gamescom Latam, it is clear that artificial intelligence in games is a path of no return. The open question is not the existence of the technology, but the way in which it will be used. AI has the potential to democratize game creation, increase productivity and enable unprecedented experiences, or, conversely, it could lead to an even more saturated and depersonalized market. The final impact of this powerful tool will depend much more on the choices and vision of the people who use it than on the technology itself.