Can AI make the next Grand Theft Auto? Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick doesn’t think so—and here’s why.
In a recent interview to Bloomberg TV about the much-anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI and the future of mobile gaming, Strauss Zelnick shared his thoughts on AI’s role in the creative industries: “These are phenomenal digital tools and the more mundane tasks will be done more automatically. That’s the history of our business. But the creative tasks will still be done by amazing human beings. It’ll be the intersection of technology and human genius that will create hits on an ongoing basis.”
Zelnick’s comments echo a powerful message he shared in The Creative Entrepreneur, where he’s featured alongside other creative industry icons like Nile Rodgers and Andy Harries: AI can’t replace true creativity.
In his interview for the book, he explained his approach to fostering creativity:
“Be the most creative: Meaning, hire the best creators and insist they pursue their passions. Encourage them to always try something new and to stay away from derivative and copycat works.”
This philosophy is central to his views on AI in creative industries. While AI can remix existing content, it struggles to create something truly new:
“In Hollywood, it’s common to pitch your product as ‘it’s a combination of Spider-Man meets Batman meets Back to the Future’… We don’t do that here; we want something that you’ve never seen before.”
Zelnick’s skepticism toward AI-generated hits is rooted in this belief:
“This is why I’m not worried about AI creating hits, because it’s built on data that already exists. It’s backward-looking. Big hits are forward-looking and therefore need to be created out of thin air. Being the most creative means not just thinking outside the box; it means there is no box.”
This debate—between over AI as a creative tool versus a replacement—along with its economic and ethical implications—has never been more relevant and heated, especially in light of last week’s uproar over the use of Ghibli-style AI art using ChatGPT‘s image-generation tool.
In the final chapter of The Creative Entrepreneur, titled Looking Towards the Future, this dilemma is explored with clarity and optimism. Generative AI, author and Creative Entrepreneur founder Carolyn Dailey argues, is neither savior nor destroyer—it’s a tool. And like all tools, it depends on the hand that wields it.
The chapter highlights key challenges—from protecting creators’ rights to navigating job disruption—and also points toward opportunity. Visiting NVIDIA in Silicon Valley, the author found a glimpse of what’s coming: tools that remove technical barriers, empower non-coders, and dramatically accelerate creative workflows. Imagine generating hundreds of prototypes in minutes, allowing creators to focus on what matters most—vision, taste, and judgment.
But the takeaway is clear: while AI can help connect the dots, it takes a human to imagine dots that don’t exist yet. Carolyn Dailey concludes:
“It’s only humans who can connect the unexpected dots to create something not generative, but truly original. I myself am going all in on the humans.”
If you’re a creative navigating this new frontier—curious, cautious, or somewhere in between—The Creative Entrepreneur is essential reading. Packed with insights from the world’s most innovative creative leaders, it offers a roadmap for building a successful business around your craft in a rapidly changing world.
👉 Get your copy of The Creative Entrepreneur to dive deeper into the insights of creative industry leaders like Zelnick and explore what the future holds for creativity in the AI era.