Krafton, the writer behind the upcoming Subnautica 2, PUBG, and inZoi has simply introduced its intentions to change into an ‘AI-First’ firm, a transfer that may see important modifications to its inner operations. AI is an extremely divisive topic in each trade proper now, however that is particularly the case in the realm of video game development, the place its makes use of each behind and in entrance of the scenes proceed to make headlines.
Based in November 2018, Krafton is a South Korean writer that discovered itself on the entrance web page of stories retailers just a few months in the past. Again in July, Krafton fired the co-founders of Unknown Worlds, the studio behind the long-awaited Subnautica 2. The fallout of that call has been quite messy, with the previous Unknown Worlds executives submitting a lawsuit in opposition to Krafton, alleging that they have been fired in order that the writer might keep away from paying the studio a $250 million bonus. Krafton hit again in August, claiming that it terminated the co-founders for the sake of Subnautica 2‘s high quality.
Krafton Declares Its Plans to be an ‘AI-First’ Firm
With that lawsuit nonetheless within the air, Krafton finds itself in troubled waters as soon as once more, this time relating to an announcement the writer has simply made relating to the corporate’s use of AI. In a stay speak delivered by Krafton CEO Kim Chang-han titled “Transition to an AI First Firm: The Way forward for Work, Firm, and Particular person,” Krafton introduced sweeping modifications coming within the rapid future.
In keeping with Kim Chang-han, ranging from at the moment, “Krafton will automate work centered on Agentic AI and totally implement an AI-centered administration system.” Basically, Krafton plans to make the most of AI to resolve “complicated issues” and improve “company-wide productiveness.”
This embracing of AI can be coming with a large financial funding from Krafton, with the corporate set to pay round KRW 100 billion to construct an NVIDIA B300-powered GPU cluster. Krafton says this infrastructure will “assist multi-stage duties requiring subtle reasoning and iterative planning.” This infrastructure may also be used to “pursue AI workflow automation.”
Krafton expects all of this AI integration to be totally established by the second-half of 2026, the place it’ll embody “AI-linked workflow, an agentic AI administration platform, and an information standardization system.” From 2026, Krafton additionally plans to spend KRW 30 billion yearly to coach its staff in utilizing AI instruments of their work, akin to an ‘AI Studying Hub’ the place staff can share functions for AI with their colleagues.
Krafton’s AI-focused changes do not finish there both. To “internalize” this AI-first method, Krafton is totally restructuring its HR system, with the present insurance policies set to be “reorganized round AI.” Krafton needs to determine an “AI first tradition” by the tip of 2025. The official press launch for this announcement concludes with a press release saying that Krafton will reinvest the “time and sources freed up by way of AI adoption” into new product improvement that the corporate is saying will “increase alternatives for inner worker mobility and function enlargement.”
However whereas the potential of expanded alternatives for present staff sounds good, Krafton’s determination to utterly reorganize its HR system and tailor it to AI insurance policies is bound to ring alarm bells for anybody who’s labored within the gaming trade earlier than. Time will inform simply the place this AI-first method takes Krafton, but it surely doubtless would not bode nicely for at the very least a few of its human employees.
Supply: AsiaBusinessDaily
