The Game Business Show Take-Two CEO Interview: ‘The notion that AI can make GTA is laughable’
Mar 17, 2026
Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two Interactive and overseer of Rockstar and 2K, talks AI as a productivity boost rather than a creative replacement. He discusses limits of AI for blockbuster hits, in-game advertising that respects players, Roblox and the creator economy, aging player cohorts, and expansion into developing markets.
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AI Speeds Asset Creation Without Replacing Hits
- AI will speed and broaden creation workflows but won't replace professional hit-making.
- Strauss Zelnick argues assets are plentiful; hits require human creativity, curation, marketing and scale beyond automated asset generation.
Use AI To Free Creators For High Value Work
- Use AI to increase efficiency in specific tasks like storyboarding, plotting alternatives and summarization.
- Zelnick recommends treating AI as a productivity tool that reduces mundane work so creators can focus on making the best entertainment.
Creator Economy Coexists With Professional Entertainment
- Creator tools and a creator economy stand alongside, not instead of, the professional entertainment industry.
- Zelnick cites music and Roblox as examples where amateur creation exists but large, professional hits and companies still dominate audience attention.