EA Wants Devs To View AI As "Thought Partners" - Report
820
Levi Winslow
2025-10-21
The company's in-house chatbot is producing flawed code and other hallucinations, according to Business Insider.
A new report has shed light on Electronic Arts' use of AI, revealing a company that's implementing the technology in everything from game development to performance reviews. EA's position? Employees should view AI as a "thought partner."
According to the report from Business Insider, EA's top brass over the past year has urged its nearly 15,000 workers to use AI for everything from coding and concept art to scripting conversations around performance reviews and promotions. Internal documents Business Insider obtained showed some workers are not just expected to take multiple AI training courses, but also use AI daily to expedite work, with the idea that the tech is a "thought partner."
The company's in-house chatbot, ReefGPT, is one of the tools EA is pushing onto its workers. However, people Business Insider spoke to on the condition of anonymity said this chatbot produces flawed code and other hallucinations, creating more work that clogs production. Other people Business Insider spoke to said EA is expecting creative staff to train AI on their work, instilling a fear that the company may then facilitate a downsizing that could cut talent such as artists and level designers.
A laid-off Respawn Entertainment senior quality-assurance designer told Business Insider that AI basically did his job--reviewing and summarizing playtesters' feedback--which is why he believes he was cut from EA this spring, along with nearly 100 others.
Earlier this year, EA warned of "legal and reputational" risks around the industry's mass adoption of AI, saying consumers could "lose confidence in our business and brands" if the technology isn't managed appropriately.
The company was also purchased (pending regulatory approval) by a consortium including Saudi Arabia and Trump's son-in-law for $55 billion, one of the largest sales in the business sector that--much like EA's AI use--raises some ethical questions.
Recent Articles