NetEase denies rumors of abandoning AI

NetEase Denies Rumors of Abandoning AI

A real drama is unfolding in the gaming industry around the Chinese giant NetEase. First, reports surfaced online claiming the company had allegedly banned its studios from using generative AI, but NetEase swiftly and firmly refuted these rumors, declaring a "full speed ahead" strategy.

The wave was started by the famous game designer Goichi Suda (Suda51), head of the studio Grasshopper Manufacture (owned by NetEase). In an interview with Eurogamer, he stated that NetEase had allegedly shut down its AI research department and prohibited subsidiary studios from using these technologies due to legal risks and negative player reactions. He also mentioned that his studio doesn't use AI simply because "they are not interested."

NetEase directly stated that the information about closing the AI department or banning the use of technologies "does not correspond to reality."