Peter Molyneux does not think generative AI is ready to be folded into game development in a serious way yet, even as he expects the technology to shake up the industry over time.
The veteran designer, whose credits include Populous, Fable and Black & White, told the BBC that AI's current output is not at the level he would want for games. For developers, that is a more cautious position than the one often heard around AI tools, where speed, scale and automation are frequently pitched as immediate production advantages.
"AI is not of a high enough quality for us to really use in games right now," Molyneux said. "I think we have to be very, very careful that there are safeguards in there, so we can't abuse this power that AI gives us."
Molyneux is not dismissing the technology outright. He said AI will improve and compared its potential impact to the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain, framing it as a disruptive force that society will have to absorb rather than a fad that will simply pass.
"It's going to cause disruption," he said. "But you know what? We're human beings. We've always evolved. We've never stayed still. Societies have changed, and we just deal with it."
The comments land at a time when generative AI remains one of gaming's most contested production topics. Developers are already weighing where it can help with prototyping, tooling and content pipelines, while players and creators continue to raise concerns about quality, labor, authorship and safeguards. Molyneux's point is narrower than a blanket rejection, but it is a reminder that usefulness in game development depends on more than novelty.
The BBC interview also touched on Masters of Albion, Molyneux's current project and one he has described as his last game. That naturally brought up his reputation for ambitious pitches, especially around earlier projects where ideas shown or discussed publicly did not always match the final release.
"When I used to give a demo, I used to get so excited. I was like a kid. It was more about me being excited about the game, which I think people started to misinterpret as being absolute promises. And I wasn't smart enough to realise that. I think you always have regrets, but the incredible experiences I've had as a creator outweigh those regrets many, many times over."
For now, Molyneux's stance is that AI is powerful, risky and likely to improve, but not yet good enough to build games around. Coming from a designer known for big swings and bigger promises, that caution is the notable part.