Stellar Blade Creator: "One AI Program Will Replace 100 People"
Hyung Tae Kim, director of Stellar Blade and head of Shift Up studio, shared his vision for the future of the gaming industry during a government briefing in South Korea.
According to him, the development of artificial intelligence will lead to "one AI program replacing 100 people." The statement was made in the presence of the country's president at a meeting dedicated to the economic growth strategy for 2026, which underscores the state's interest in AI as a source of technological advantage.
Kim linked this optimism to competition with China. Shift Up typically employs about 150 people per project, while Chinese studios involve 1,000 to 2,000 people. With such a difference, Korean teams cannot compete in scale without digital support. According to Kim, AI will allow small studios to create games on par with the world's largest blockbusters.
At the same time, the head of Shift Up emphasized that this is not about mass layoffs. Korean studios are already operating in conditions of personnel shortages, and AI should make up for the lack of resources.
Against the backdrop of a cautious attitude towards AI from Western studios, South Korea, on the contrary, plans to actively invest in this area. Therefore, future Shift Up projects, including the sequel to Stellar Blade, will likely be developed with the widespread use of AI.
