Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks Talks AI Usage in D&D [UPDATED!]

Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks is convinced that the Dungeons & Dragons franchise will support some kind of AI usage in the future. Speaking today at a Goldman Sachs event, Cocks spoke about how AI products could soon support Dungeons & Dragons and other Hasbro brands. Asked about whether AI has the potential to "bend the cost curve" in terms of entertainment development or digital gaming, and how it's being used in the toy and content industries, Cocks said the following:

"Inside of development, we've already been using AI. It's mostly machine-learning-based AI or proprietary AI as opposed to a ChatGPT approach. We will deploy it significantly and liberally internally as both a knowledge worker aid and as a development aid. I'm probably more excited though about the playful elements of AI. If you look at a typical D&D player....I play with probably 30 or 40 people regularly. There's not a single person who doesn't use AI somehow for either campaign development or character development or story ideas. That's a clear signal that we need to be embracing it. We need to do it carefully, we need to do it responsibly, we need to make sure we pay creators for their work, and we need to make sure we're clear when something is AI-generated. But the themes around using AI to enable user-generated content, using AI to streamline new player introduction, using AI for emergent storytelling, I think you're going to see that not just our hardcore brands like D&D but also multiple of our brands."

Wizards of the Coast representatives has repeatedly said that Dungeons & Dragons is a game made by people for people, as multiple AI controversies has surrounded the brand and its parent company. Wizards updated its freelance contracts to explicitly prohibit use of AI and has pulled down AI-generated artwork that was submitted for Bigby's Presents: Glory of the Giants in 2023 after they learned it was made using AI tools.

A FAQ related to AI specifically notes that "Hasbro has a vast portfolio of 1900+ brands of which Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons are two – two very important, cherished brands. Each brand is going to approach its products differently. What is in the best interest of Trivial Pursuit is likely quite different than that of Magic: The Gathering or Dungeons & Dragons." This statement acknowledges that Hasbro may use AI for other brands, while also stating that Wizards is trying to keep AI-generated artwork away from the game. However, while Wizards seems to want to keep AI away from D&D and Magic, their parent company's CEO seems to think that AI and D&D aren't naturally opposed.

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UPDATE -- Greg Tito, who was WotC's communications director until recently, commented on BlueSky: "I'm deeply mistrustful of AI and don't want people using it anywhere near my D&D campaigns."

 

[KYRON45]

Tell that to the wingless, choking angels.

It’s my understanding the angels aren’t the biggest fans of humans.

 

[Argyle King]

Who cares? Why should my personal definition matter? I understand what he's saying. It's quite plausible. Who cares?

Nit picking someone's offhand comment made to a third party is not a game I particularly need to win at. He communicated his point and whether or not his personal definition of "regular" lines up with mine is such a pointless debate that it's not worth any time. The important takeaway here is that in his experience, players are using AI during the game. Now whether that experience is driving his decision making process is probably more important that spending endless time debating "what does regular mean".

It matters because having productive discourse tends to require speaking the same language.

If there are different definitions for a term, having some idea of what those differences is relevant to the parties engaging in the discourse.

What's the general ballpark of how you, as an individual, would define "regular"?

It's not any kind of trick question. It's a question of clarity and understanding.

 

[Oofta]

It matters because having productive discourse tends to require speaking the same language.

If there are different definitions for a term, having some idea of what those differences is relevant to the parties engaging in the discourse.

What's the general ballpark of how you, as an individual, would define "regular"?

It's not any kind of trick question. It's a question of clarity and understanding.

What you or I define as regularly doesn't matter. What matters is what Chris thinks it is and he's not part of the conversation. Any definition we decide upon is irrelevant.

 

[MechaAllTheTime]

Every time someone compares AI to actual technological advances and compares genuine concerns about this massive cash grab to complaints against genuine innovation, an angel rips its wings off and eats them.

Generative AI is not an innovation. It's not learning. It's not improving anything. It's autocorrect in lipstick trying being trotted out under the guise of General AI as a scam.

I understand that it can be easy to feel skeptical about generative AI, especially when it's compared to trends like NFTs or blockchain, which were often associated with hype. However, I think it’s worth considering some of the real, tangible impacts that generative AI is already having in various industries today.

For instance, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe has reported that 71% of statistical organizations are using generative AI for coding purposes, which shows its value in fields like statistics and data analysis. Similarly, the IEEE has highlighted how generative AI is reshaping the way software engineers and programmers are being trained.

Of course, these are just a couple of examples, but they illustrate that, in areas like engineering, and programming, AI is providing measurable benefits. While the hype around AI is certainly strong, it’s important to recognize the real-world applications that are actively transforming jobs and industries.

 

[SlyFlourish]

Not distributing or not reporting?

My understanding is that their new distributor doesn’t distribute to Walmart or Target.

 

[Umbran]

This discussion is no longer about gaming.
Thread closed.