Politics

Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser warns of AI's growing limitations and risks to creativity

Tuesday, 2 December 2025 1:19PM UTC

Dan Houser, co-founder of Rockstar Games, criticises the hype surrounding AI, warning of its potential to undermine human creativity and create destabilising feedback loops within the industry.

Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser has voiced a cautious and critical perspective on the current state and future trajectory of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly as it relates to creativity and the gaming industry. In recent media appearances, Houser challenged the often grandiose marketing narratives promoted by AI advocates who present themselves as champions of both human progress and creative innovation.

Speaking on Virgin Radio UK with Chris Evans and during a Channel 4 Sunday Brunch segment, Houser highlighted a growing disconnect between AI’s marketed potential and its actual capabilities. He described a concerning phenomenon where a narrow cohort of tech executives lacking broad creativity or humanistic qualities are positioning AI as a defining cultural and technological force. "Some of these people trying to define the future of humanity, creativity, or whatever it is using AI, are not the most humane or creative people," Houser said. He questioned their claim to superiority in creativity, calling it "obviously not true."

A particularly stark analogy Houser used cautioned about the feedback loop AI could create by constantly training on its own generated content, rather than purely human-created data. "I think that AI is gonna eventually eat itself," he explained, comparing the scenario to "when we fed cows with cows and got mad cow disease." This feedback cycle, he warned, risks degrading the quality of information and outputs produced by AI models.

Houser acknowledged AI’s strengths in performing specific tasks effectively, but emphasised that overblown claims about its abilities can obscure its current limitations. He pointed out that “AI” remains a broad, catch-all term covering a variety of systems rather than a unified breakthrough technology capable of sweeping creative transformation. This gap between promise and performance leads to ongoing cycles where investors and platform owners pour capital into AI under the assumption it will revolutionise industries, despite mixed or uneven results.

The gaming industry, Houser noted, reflects these tensions. While some studios cautiously integrate AI-assisted workflows, others worry about losing the intentionality and distinctive character that human creativity brings. Teams working on renowned titles have expressed concern that overreliance on automation risks eroding the essence of game design. Houser’s own startup, Absurd Ventures, is experimenting with AI in its forthcoming Absurdaverse project and novel writing, but with measured expectations rather than blind enthusiasm.

Houser also shared broader reflections on the expanding power of technology platforms, which start with utopian ambitions and increasingly prioritise commercial incentives. He views AI as central to this shift, where rhetoric about its potential often outstrips the reality of current systems, driving investment and influence disproportionately.

Despite his critiques, Houser conceded that AI has yielded notable breakthroughs and useful applications. Nonetheless, he urged a more grounded dialogue around AI’s role, warning against the hyperbolic narratives that seem designed more to inflate company valuations and hype than to accurately represent the technology’s present-day utility.

His remarks resonate amidst a pivotal moment in game development as major publishers experiment with AI in animation, writing, and asset production, while others remain sceptical or outright resistant. Given Houser’s legacy in shaping landmark games and his continued engagement with narrative-driven projects, his voice adds significant weight to ongoing industry debates about what AI can and cannot achieve.

📌 Reference Map:

^[1] (EGW News) - Paragraphs 1-8, 10-13
^[2] (GamesRadar) - Paragraphs 2, 4
^[3] (Video Games Chronicle) - Paragraphs 1, 3
^[4] (Stevivor) - Paragraphs 2, 4
^[5] (TechSpot) - Paragraphs 5, 9
^[6] (GameSpot) - Paragraphs 2, 3

Source: Noah Wire Services

More on this

https://egw.news/gaming/news/30933/dan-houser-casts-a-critical-eye-on-ais-influence-a-OnwrOh4aC - Please view link - unable to able to access data
https://www.gamesradar.com/rockstar-co-founder-and-former-gta-lead-writer-dan-houser-says-ai-is-eventually-going-to-eat-itself-and-that-the-people-behind-chatbots-and-ai-models-arent-fully-rounded-humans/ - In a recent interview, Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser expressed concerns about artificial intelligence (AI) in the gaming industry. He criticised AI advocates, stating that many are not 'the most humane or creative people.' Houser also warned that AI could 'eventually eat itself,' drawing a parallel to mad cow disease, as AI models may increasingly generate content based on other AI-generated material, leading to a feedback loop of low-quality information. He acknowledged AI's effectiveness in certain tasks but cautioned against overestimating its capabilities in creative processes.
https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/gta-writer-dan-houser-says-the-people-leading-the-push-for-ai-are-not-the-most-humane-or-creative-people/ - Former Rockstar writer Dan Houser has delivered another criticism of generative AI, suggesting that those leading its growth aren’t the most 'fully rounded' people. In an interview with The Chris Evans Breakfast Show on Virgin Radio, Houser was speaking about his new book A Better Paradise Volume One: An Aftermath, which tells the story of a video game project that goes wrong when the AI created for it becomes too powerful. Evans asked Houser if he agreed with the argument that while AI is a 'combine harvester' gathering information, it will never fully replace human creativity because it can’t capture the human spirit. Houser replied that he agreed, adding that the leaders in the drive to push generative AI to perform certain tasks aren’t necessarily the people most well-versed in those areas. 'Some of these people trying to define the future of humanity, creativity, or whatever it is using AI are not the most humane or creative people,' he explained.
https://stevivor.com/news/rockstar-co-founder-dan-houser-says-those-pushing-ai-arent-fully-rounded-humans/ - Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser has lashed out against AI, saying that executives who are pushing it to consumers 'aren’t fully-rounded humans'. Speaking with Virgin Radio UK, Houser was blunt regarding his feelings towards AI. 'I personally don’t think it will [help us prosper], because I think that AI is gonna eventually eat itself, because as far as I understand it—which is really superficial—the models scour the internet for information, but the internet’s going to get more and more full of information made by the models,' Houser said. 'So it’s sort of like when we fed cows with cows and got mad cow ... .' While Houser admitted that some genAI models 'will do some tasks brilliantly, but… not… every task brilliantly,' he also provided his thoughts on tech giants like Microsoft pushing AI into practically everything. 'Humanity is being pulled in a direction by a certain group of people, who maybe aren’t fully-rounded humans,' Houser said.
https://www.techspot.com/news/110380-rockstar-co-founder-dan-houser-ai-cant-handle.html - Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser has offered a sobering evaluation of AI's role in game development. During an appearance on the UK TV show Sunday Brunch, Houser presented a view in sharp contrast to the high expectations set by giants such as EA and Microsoft – companies that have made substantial investments to automate creative processes and streamline large-scale content production. Instead, Houser emphasized that AI, while promising in some respects, currently falls short of its most ambitious claims. Houser's Absurd Ventures is exploring AI integration in both game development and narrative construction. The studio's current project is set in the same universe as Houser's novel 'A Better Paradise,' which itself grapples with themes of advanced AI and digital realities. Absurd Ventures is deploying AI specifically to generate both story content and dynamic in-game characters.
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ex-gta-boss-dan-houser-likens-ai-to-mad-cow-disease/1100-6536602/ - Rockstar Games co-founder and ex-GTA boss Dan Houser has given more opinions on artificial intelligence, claiming that we're not too far off from a future in which the controversial technology eats itself in some sort of ouroboros way that gives us mad cow (AI?) disease. Speaking to Chris Evans (not the actor) for his Virgin Radio UK Breakfast Show on November 26 (as spotted by PC Gamer), Houser was asked about his gaming origins, the founding of Rockstar Games and the creation of Grand Theft Auto, and his new sci-fi thriller novel A Better Paradise.

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score: 8

Notes: The narrative presents recent statements by Dan Houser regarding AI's impact on creativity in the gaming industry. The earliest known publication date of similar content is November 24, 2025, with Houser's comments appearing in various outlets around that time. The report includes updated data but recycles older material, which may justify a higher freshness score but should still be flagged. Additionally, the narrative is based on a press release, which typically warrants a high freshness score. However, the presence of recycled content and the reliance on a press release suggest a need for further scrutiny.

Quotes check

Score: 7

Notes: The direct quotes attributed to Dan Houser, such as "Some of these people trying to define the future of humanity, creativity, or whatever it is using AI, are not the most humane or creative people," and "I think that AI is gonna eventually eat itself," appear in multiple sources from late November 2025. The earliest known usage of these quotes is from November 24, 2025. The identical wording across different reports suggests potential reuse of content. Variations in wording across sources may indicate paraphrasing or selective quoting. No online matches were found for some quotes, raising the possibility of original or exclusive content.

Source reliability

Score: 6

Notes: The narrative originates from EGW News, a source that is not widely recognised or verifiable. This raises concerns about the reliability and credibility of the information presented. The lack of a public presence or legitimate website for EGW News further contributes to the uncertainty regarding the source's trustworthiness.

Plausability check

Score: 7

Notes: The claims made in the narrative align with statements previously reported by Dan Houser in late November 2025, suggesting a degree of consistency. However, the lack of supporting detail from other reputable outlets and the reliance on a single, unverified source raise questions about the narrative's credibility. The tone and language used in the report are consistent with Houser's known speaking style, but the absence of corroborating evidence from other reputable sources diminishes the overall plausibility.

Overall assessment

Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): FAIL

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM

Summary: The narrative presents recent statements by Dan Houser regarding AI's impact on creativity in the gaming industry. However, the reliance on a single, unverified source (EGW News), the recycling of content from earlier reports, and the lack of supporting detail from other reputable outlets raise significant concerns about the credibility and originality of the information. The presence of identical quotes across multiple sources suggests potential reuse of content, and the absence of corroborating evidence from other reputable sources diminishes the overall plausibility of the narrative.

AI
Creativity
Gaming industry