Take-Two Interactive has parted ways with its head of AI, Luke Dicken, along with an undisclosed number of employees from the company’s AI division. The layoffs come at a curious time, just months before the highly anticipated release of GTA 6, and despite CEO Strauss Zelnick repeatedly stating that the publisher is “actively embracing generative AI” across its studios.
What Happened At Take-Two’s AI Division
Dicken confirmed the layoffs in a LinkedIn post on Thursday, writing that his time at Take-Two, and that of his team, had come to an end. He noted that the group had been developing technology to support game development for seven years, describing their work as matching innovation and problem-solving with strong product design to create systems that empower people throughout the development workflow.
Dicken took over as Take-Two’s head of AI in early 2025 after spending a decade at Zynga, where much of the AI team originally came from. Take-Two acquired Zynga in 2022 for US$12.7 billion, though the partnership has struggled to produce new hits since then. Several of Dicken’s industry colleagues publicly expressed surprise at the news.
Take-Two has declined to comment on the layoffs.
A Mixed Message On AI From The Top
The restructure sits awkwardly alongside Take-Two’s public messaging around AI. During a recent investor call, Zelnick confirmed that the company has hundreds of AI pilots and implementations running across its studios, framing the technology as a way to drive efficiencies, reduce costs, and free up creators to focus on making better entertainment.
At the same time, Zelnick has consistently played down the idea that generative AI could ever replace the human creativity needed to build something like Grand Theft Auto. Take-Two’s stance has generally been more measured than some of its competitors, positioning AI as a tool for streamlining mundane tasks rather than a replacement for developers.
Last month, the company actively distanced itself from tools like Google’s Genie after its stock price took a hit from investors worried that generative AI could allow anyone to make world-class games without massive teams. Take-Two president Karl Slatoff pushed back firmly, saying Genie was early in its iteration and not even in the same ballpark as a proper game engine.
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A Broader Pattern At Take-Two
This is not the first round of staff cuts at Take-Two in recent months. Back in November, Rockstar Games reportedly dismissed employees suspected of leaking confidential information related to GTA 6. That round included senior staff who had been working on the game for years, and it reportedly led to significant morale issues within the studio.
The timing of the AI team layoffs also stands out given the wider industry conversation around the technology. Capcom recently outlined its own AI policy, claiming it would boost productivity and efficiency. Meanwhile, Nvidia’s DLSS 5 showcase drew criticism after it demonstrated how AI-driven graphics technology could visibly degrade NPC quality in popular games. Even Arc Raiders, which sold millions of copies with AI-voiced NPCs, has begun replacing those recordings with real human voice actors.
What This Signals Ahead Of GTA 6
With GTA 6 on the horizon, the decision to restructure the AI division raises questions about how Take-Two plans to integrate the technology going forward. Reports suggest there is currently very little AI usage in GTA 6 itself, which aligns with Zelnick’s repeated emphasis on human creativity as the primary driver of development.
Whether this reshuffle reflects a genuine change in strategy or simply a reorganisation of resources remains unclear. Take-Two’s silence on the matter leaves plenty of room for speculation, but the move does suggest that the company’s approach to AI may be evolving, even as its leadership continues to talk up the technology’s potential publicly.