"Rockstar’s Creativity Is Extraordinary," Says Take-Two CEO on GTA 6 and AI

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has made it clear that artificial intelligence won’t be creating the next Grand Theft Auto game anytime soon.

Take-Two CEO Says AI Could Never Create GTA 6 | Rockstar Games

Speaking at CNBC’s Technology Executive Council Summit in New York, Zelnick addressed the growing conversation around AI in game development. While he acknowledged the potential of generative AI, he stressed that Rockstar Games’ hallmark creativity is something no algorithm can replicate. With GTA 6 on the horizon, it’s natural for fans to wonder if AI will play a role in shaping the blockbuster sequel. According to Zelnick, though, the answer is a firm no.

AI’s Limits in Game Creation

Zelnick explained that AI tools are inherently “backward-looking,” relying on massive datasets of existing information. That makes them useful for certain industries, like medical research or data analysis, but not for building the kind of immersive, unpredictable worlds that Rockstar is known for. “Let’s say there were no constraints on AI. Could we push a button tomorrow and create an equivalent to the Grand Theft Auto marketing plan? The answer is no,” he said.

He added that even if the technology could attempt such a feat, the results would likely be uninspired. “You end up with something pretty derivative,” Zelnick noted. For him, the creative spark that drives Rockstar’s games simply can’t be generated by predictive models.

Beyond creativity, there’s also the issue of copyright. Zelnick pointed out that intellectual property created by AI isn’t legally protectable, which poses a major problem for publishers like Take-Two. “We have to protect our intellectual property, but more than that, we have to be mindful of others,” he said. This tension between content owners and AI companies has already led to lawsuits and licensing disputes across entertainment industries.

Despite his caution, Zelnick isn’t dismissing AI entirely. Just last week, at the Paley Center in San Francisco, he suggested that generative AI could actually increase employment in the long run. But when it comes to flagship franchises like Grand Theft Auto, he insists that human creativity remains irreplaceable. “The team’s creativity is extraordinary, and what Rockstar Games tries to do, and so far has done over and over again, is create something that approaches perfection,” he said. “There is no creativity that can exist by definition in any AI model, because it is data-driven.”

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