The gaming industry is expanding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) from a tool for production efficiency to a technology that enhances creative quality and user experience.
The Korean Game Policy Association held a policy seminar on the morning of July 14 at the Youth Foundation in Jongno, Seoul, discussing AI technologies and policy challenges applicable to game production and live services. The seminar featured presentations and discussions by Na Gyu-bong, head of NC AI's Barco project team; Seong Jun-sik, head of AI for Game R&D at Krafton; Go Young-jin, head of the Cultural AI Policy Division at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; and Kim Myung-hoon, a patent attorney at Yulchon LLC.
Na Gyu-bong emphasized during his session titled 'Does Technology Truly Augment Creation?' that "AI is a tool that enhances the quality of creation." He stated, "The role of AI is not just to produce new results faster and in greater quantity, but to enable creators to attempt ideas they might have abandoned due to time and technical constraints. AI is providing new opportunities, especially for resource-limited creators."
He shared an example from NC's 'Lineage M' background art team, which has utilized NC AI's 'Barco 3D.' He explained that the game, characterized by its isometric view, requires precise angle and composition settings for background art, which previously took 2-3 weeks. With the introduction of Barco 3D, the team can now set the composition and produce the artwork in about a week.
AI has also made it possible to implement stories in large commercial games that were previously difficult to tackle. Na noted, "In the past, due to cost and technical issues, it was challenging to attempt certain projects, but with AI, even student creators can produce new forms of games. This is evident in the award-winning entries and educational cases from competitions hosted by NC AI."
Seong Jun-sik presented on 'AI in Live Services,' highlighting applications in the first-person shooter game 'PUBG: Battlegrounds.' Krafton is currently focusing on applying AI technology for anti-cheat measures and esports broadcasting.
He explained that the anti-cheat system has evolved to detect abnormal gameplay based on data rather than relying solely on simple system information, such as the 'ESP' type hacks that reveal player locations behind walls.
Seong also discussed the beta testing of an AI companion named 'Elai,' which communicates with users through voice. Elai features an agent that selects actions and three supporting sub-agents, with a small language model containing approximately 2 billion parameters installed on users' PCs.
He stated, "The goal is to verify whether we can apply the latest AI technology to live services. We plan to refine this through multiple experiments."
However, it was noted that for AI to be competitive in the gaming industry, there needs to be a balance of creator autonomy, institutional standards, and talent development policies.
The Ministry of Culture is promoting a support project worth about 10 billion won this year. This includes 7.5 billion won for an AI transformation (AX) project that supports subscription fees and training for AI solutions for small game companies and startups, and 3 billion won for supporting game production using AI.
In the second half of the year, the ministry plans to unveil an AI content strategy that encompasses support for small businesses in AI utilization, fostering leading companies, data infrastructure, and talent development. A bill for the 'AI Content Industry Promotion Act,' which will provide the basis for support and institutional standards for the AI content industry, is also in preparation.
Go Young-jin stated, "The utilization rate of AI in games is the highest among content sectors, reaching 70% as of the fourth quarter of 2025." He added, "The government is considering research and development and cooperative support that encompasses not only small game companies and startups but also large companies leading AI utilization."
Kim Myung-hoon remarked, "The attitudes of creators and companies toward AI are changing," and suggested that flexible institutional operations should consider company size, game genre, and content type. However, he cautioned that "if the standards are too flexible, it could lead to confusion," emphasizing the need for the government and industry to establish application criteria.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.