Warhammer Owner Games Workshop Bans Its Creative Staff From Using GenAI: A Cautious Approach to Technology
Warhammer owner Games Workshop has taken a cautious stance on Generative AI, limiting its use by creative staff while allowing a few senior managers to test the technology.
The British company, known for its tabletop war games and licensed IP in TV, movies, and video games, is being very careful with Generative AI. This technology is often trained on human-made content without permission, which is a concern for the company.
Games Workshop CEO Kevin Rountree explains that while the company is not against AI, they are taking a 'very cautious' approach. He says, 'We have a few senior managers that are not yet excited about it.' These managers will be allowed to use the technology for testing purposes, but its use is strictly off-limits elsewhere in the company.
The company has also stated that it has taken on more staff in roles such as art, writing, and miniature sculpting in the first half of this financial year, stressing its commitment to human artists and creatives. Rountree adds, 'We will be maintaining a strong commitment to protect our intellectual property and respect our human creators.'
Games Workshop, established in 1975, has enjoyed considerable commercial success in recent years and has been a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index since the end of 2024. Its IP has starred in a range of video games over the years, with Space Marine 2 being one of the more recent examples.
But here's where it gets controversial... Is Games Workshop's cautious approach to Generative AI the right one? Or are they missing out on the potential benefits of this technology? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
This article was written by Damien McFerran, who has been writing professionally about tech and video games since 2007. He oversees all of Hookshot Media's sites from an editorial perspective and is the editor of Time Extension, the network's newest site, which is all about gaming's past glories.
