Jack Buser, Google Cloud’s global director of games, says AI is becoming essential for game developers and compares it to giving teams an Iron Man–style suit of armor.
Buser said resistance is normal with any major technological shift, but AI adoption is accelerating across the gaming industry. He argued that AI doesn’t replace developers, but enhances them, allowing teams to work faster, cut repetitive tasks, and unlock capabilities that weren’t possible before.
He urged studio leaders and CTOs to actively equip their teams with AI tools, stressing that success depends not only on integrating the technology into development pipelines, but also on building trust and understanding across the company. Executives, he added, need hands-on experience with AI to truly grasp its potential and limits.
According to Buser, AI could reshape how games are built and experienced, especially in the rise of “living games” that continuously evolve after launch. With AI, these games could become more adaptive, personalized, and immersive, while significantly reducing update and production times.
Buser believes 2026 will mark a turning point, when AI moves from being used in isolated parts of development to becoming a core element across the entire game creation process.