Upcoming publisher Krafton Subnautica 2, PUBGand meEnjoy recently announced its intention to become an ‘AI-first’ company, a move that will bring significant changes to its internal operations. AI is an incredibly divisive topic across all industries right now, but especially in the realm of video game development, where its use continues to make headlines both behind the scenes and in front of it.
Founded in November 2018, Krafton is a Korean publishing company that appeared on the front pages of the media a few months ago. Last July, Krafton fired the co-founders of Unknown Worlds, its long-awaited game development studio. Subnautica 2. The results of that decision were somewhat confusing. Former Unknown Worlds executives filed a lawsuit against Krafton, claiming they were fired to avoid the publisher paying $250 million in bonuses to the studio. Krafton fired back in August, claiming it fired its co-founders. Subnautica 2quality.
Krafton announces plans to become an ‘AI-first’ company
With the lawsuit still ongoing, Krafton is once again in trouble, this time regarding statements the publisher just made about the company's use of AI. In a live talk titled 'Transition to an AI-first company: The future of work, companies, and individuals,' Krafton CEO Kim Chang-han predicted a groundbreaking change that would come in the near future.
CEO Kim Chang-han said, “Starting today, Krafton will automate tasks centered on Agentic AI and implement an AI-centered management system in earnest.” Basically, Krafton plans to use AI to solve ‘complex problems’ and increase ‘company-wide productivity.’
This embrace of AI comes with significant financial investment from Krafton, which will pay approximately KRW 100 billion to build NVIDIA B300-based GPU clusters. Krafton said this infrastructure will “support multi-step tasks that require sophisticated reasoning and iterative planning.” This infrastructure will also be used to ‘pursue AI workflow automation.’
Krafton expects all of these AI integrations to be fully established by the second half of 2026, which will include “AI connected workflows, agentic AI management platforms, and data standardization systems.” Starting in 2026, Krafton plans to invest 30 billion won annually for training on using AI tools for work, such as the 'AI Learning Hub' where employees can share AI applications with colleagues.
Krafton’s AI-driven transformation doesn’t end there. To ‘embed’ this AI-first approach, Krafton is completely restructuring its HR systems, with existing policies set to ‘restructure around AI’. Krafton wants to establish an ‘AI first culture’ by the end of 2025. The official press release about the announcement ends with a statement that Krafton will reinvest “the time and resources secured through the introduction of AI” into developing new products. The company said it will “expand opportunities for internal employee mobility and role expansion.”
But while the prospect of expanded opportunities for current employees sounds good, Krafton's decision to completely restructure its HR systems and align them with AI policies should be a wake-up call to anyone who has previously worked in the gaming industry. Time will tell where this AI-first approach takes Krafton, but it probably doesn't bode well for at least some human workers.
Source: Asia Business Daily
