If you thought every high-ranking executive of a multinational company is bullish on the idea of AI, especially in the video game industry, you obviously haven’t met Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick.

The man behind the owners of Rockstar Games, and by extension, Grand Theft Auto, had previously already called out AI and gone on record to describe AI as a “parlor trick”. Now, he just delivered a reality check about what AI actually can and cannot do when it comes to creating blockbuster video games.

Zelnick sat down for an interview at the CNBC Technology Executive Council Summit this week. The panel was titled Reinvent Play, and naturally, questions turned to whether artificial intelligence could speed up game development or even create entire games from scratch. His answer might disappoint some Silicon Valley optimists.

Zelnick prefaced his remarks by clarifying he's not a naysayer when it comes to AI technology. However, he was equally clear that the signs of AI meaningfully accelerating game development remain limited. The reasons go beyond just technical capabilities and touch on fundamental questions about creativity, intellectual property, and what actually makes games like Grand Theft Auto special.

One major concern involves copyright and intellectual property protection. AI models train on massive datasets that often include copyrighted material, creating legal and ethical complications. Take-Two has to exercise caution, making sure that any AI tools they use don't inadvertently incorporate other people's protected work. Conversely, they also need to protect their own intellectual property from companies like OpenAI from using it without permission or proper compensation.

The interviewer asked whether Zelnick had contacted OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT and Sora, about potentially blocking GTA content from being used in their systems. The CEO chuckled at the question but didn't confirm taking that specific action.

He did note, however, that companies like OpenAI are taking a big risk with how they handle intellectual property, especially given that Take-Two creates so much original content that needs protection.

Take-Two is incredibly protective of its assets. Its lawyers have even DMCA’d fan-favorite mods in the past, all because they were infringing on the company’s intellectual property. If there’s a company that knows a thing or two about copyright infringement and protecting what’s rightfully theirs, it’s them.

But Zelnick didn't stop at legal concerns. He posed a hypothetical question that cuts to the heart of whether AI can truly create entertainment experiences. Suppose there were no constraints on AI use whatsoever. Could Take-Two simply push a button and say create an equivalent of GTA along with a complete marketing plan? His answer was unequivocal: no.

AI excels at tasks involving backward-looking data and computation. For certain applications within game development, that capability proves useful. But anything requiring genuine creativity or forward-thinking innovation? AI will struggle because creativity cannot exist, by definition, in a data-driven model that only knows what has come before, which isn’t what GTA was built on.

Each entry in the series has pushed boundaries and delivered experiences that feel fresh despite familiar frameworks. That requires human creativity operating at extraordinary levels

Zelnick, who has admitted to stepping aside and leaving Rockstar to do what they do best, has praised the studio’s creative team for consistently delivering work that approaches perfection. Their ability to craft compelling narratives, design intricate worlds, and create gameplay systems that feel both accessible and deep represents the kind of sophisticated creative thinking that AI simply cannot replicate by processing historical data.

Of course, Zelnick's comments won't end the conversation about AI in game development, but they provide an important perspective from someone responsible for some of the industry's most successful franchises.

GTA 6 is currently in development for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X with an expected launch date of May 26, 2026.