Hasbro CEO Reiterates That AI Isn't Used to Make D&D Because of the Game's Audience and Creators

While Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks is a big fan of AI, he reiterated in a recent interview that the technology is not used to make Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering. Recently, Cocks sat down with the Verge to discuss Hasbro's business and in particular how the company uses AI. While Cocks gave several examples of how AI is integrated within the company (it has a Peppa Pig AI provide feedback on Peppa Pig toys, for instance), he stated that not every facet of the company currently uses AI. "From a creative context, I think you have to think about it very carefully," Cocks said. "There are some brands that the audience, the creators, just don’t want it, so we don’t even have it in our pipelines for our video games or for Magic: The Gathering, or D&D. For things like toys where we’re basing it on existing IP, or like a long legacy of ideas, we are able to use it and use it pretty effectively."

The Dungeons & Dragons brand has strongly come out against AI, specifically when it comes to creative work. The brand currently bans the use of AI-generated artwork in its games and has repeatedly talked about how the game is made for people by people. However, Cocks has talked about his personal use of AI in his home D&D games and has strongly suggested integrating that technology into Dungeons & Dragons somehow.

Cocks previously bragged about how AI has been integrated into Hasbro's workflow, and the Verge interview talks about how AI has supplemented the business, mentioning that AI has been used to ideate toy ideas and simulate focus groups and play test labs. While Cocks sees AI as a way to "level up" the work of creatives as opposed to replacing them, he also admits that he's been wrong about technology disrupting the toy business before, specifically mentioning NFTs as an area that he got wrong in the past.

The interview also briefly mentioned the upcoming video game Dungeons & Dragons: Warlock, with Cocks noting that that game will be released in the "later part" of 2027.

 

[Desdichado]

I'm not sure what that means. The subject line says clearly that it's the audience, but the text suggests that it's the creators/developers. Either way, they've had a significant change in audience over the years, to an audience that they courted. Same with their creators/developers. They can't complain about what they want.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I sure hope the Peppa Pig AI is just something trained on the catalog, series bible and customer profiles and not a chatbot. Peppa is a jerk.

 

[Superchunk77]

 

[cranberry]

Well, that's good news, but I don't think people should implicitly trust WoTC.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I'm not sure what that means. The subject line says clearly that it's the audience, but the text suggests that it's the creators/developers. Either way, they've had a significant change in audience over the years, to an audience that they courted. Same with their creators/developers. They can't complain about what they want.

They arent complaining, tho

 

[Umbran]

However, Cocks has talked about his personal use of AI in his home D&D games and has strongly suggested integrating that technology into Dungeons & Dragons somehow.

This is "solution looking for a problem" thinking, and is backwards form how you want to move to satisfy customers.

Find the problem you want to solve first, then determine which technology works best at solving it for your customers. Don't ever say, "This is cool tech, where can I wedge it in?"

... he also admits that he's been wrong about technology disrupting the toy business before, specifically mentioning NFTs as an area that he got wrong in the past.

Earns a point for being to admit being wrong. Just a point, but that's not nothing.

 

[Mournblade94]

SO they use it in toys because there is no one vocal about it. Sculptors used to be the ones that developed the toy ideas. Beware. Soon the community is going to relax on AI, there are already signs of it, and AI will be incorporated fully into D&D. Especially with the younger crowd growing with AI in their schooling. I haven't been to an education conference yet where they don't show you how to use AI in the classroom. These kids are not going to have the abhorrence Gen Z does for AI. I'm not that worried about AI in D&D, myself I can take it or leave it, but I speculate the bulwark against AI is going to lose.

Its already being accepted on a large scale.

 

[saviirkad]

I'm not sure what that means. The subject line says clearly that it's the audience, but the text suggests that it's the creators/developers. Either way, they've had a significant change in audience over the years, to an audience that they courted. Same with their creators/developers. They can't complain about what they want.

"There are some brands that the audience, the creators, just don’t want it, so we don’t even have it in our pipelines for our video games or for Magic: The Gathering, or D&D. For things like toys where we’re basing it on existing IP, or like a long legacy of ideas, we are able to use it and use it pretty effectively."

Didn't sound like complaining, sounds like a pro-AI CEO who encourages AI use without forcing AI use. So when departments say they don't want it internally, nor does their customer base, then they can forgo it entirely. And for an interview about how AI is being implemented, that choice is relevant to bring up.

 

[mamba]

AI has been used to ideate toy ideas and simulate focus groups and play test labs.

I wonder if the AI would have told him that the D&D and MtG players do not want AI…