IO Interactive says it has not used generative AI to make 007 First Light, putting the upcoming James Bond game on the growing list of major projects whose developers are drawing a public line around the technology.
Art director Rasmus Poulsen discussed the subject in an interview with Eurogamer, where he was asked about generative AI because 007 First Light's story touches on artificial intelligence and defence companies. His answer was direct.
"No we haven't. We haven't worked with AI on the project, generative AI."
Poulsen said the decision came from a "combined discussion between core execs in the studio." He avoided going deeper into his personal view of the technology, adding, "I think it's a large discussion - I'd rather not dive into the details, because it's complicated."
Bond's AI theme now sits outside the development process
The timing makes the comment sharper than a simple production note. Poulsen said Bond stories often carry a warning about idealised futures and the systems built to deliver them.
"I think it's funny that you mentioned that, because, of course, the thematics of Bond are often: beware of utopia, I would say. And utopia comes in many shapes and forms. And in that sense, there's certainly some thematics there about these things that we are faced with currently."
That gives 007 First Light an interesting split. The game can use AI-adjacent ideas as part of its spy-fiction backdrop, but IO Interactive is saying generative AI was not part of the creative production pipeline behind it.
According to IO Interactive's official 007 First Light page, the game is a narrative action-adventure about a young, reckless James Bond recruit earning his 00 status. The studio describes it as a standalone, reimagined origin story with stealth, gadgets, vehicle sequences and missions that can be approached quietly or loudly. The Steam page lists a May 27, 2026 release date.
The wider conversation around generative AI in games has become especially tense because it cuts across art, writing, development labour and business costs. Some studios are openly experimenting with AI tools, while others have stressed that their games were made without generative AI assets or writing.
Poulsen's comments place IO Interactive in the latter camp for 007 First Light, at least on the question of generative AI. The studio is still keeping the broader debate at arm's length, but its answer on this specific Bond game is clear: the tech is part of the story's thematic neighbourhood, not the development credit sheet.