EA's AI Tool Aimed at Cutting Costs Creates More Work Instead

Electronic Arts Inc.'s ambitious effort to use artificial intelligence to streamline game development is having the opposite effect, according to people familiar with the matter, as an error-prone internal AI tool creates extra work for programmers and extends production schedules.

The company's in-house AI chatbot, known as ReefGPT, frequently produces faulty code that developers are required to correct, according to a report from Business Insider. Employees say they spend time fixing the AI's mistakes (what developers call "hallucinations").

The AI push appears central to EA's cost-cutting strategy following its $55 billion acquisition by a consortium including Silver Lake and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. The company is reportedly betting heavily on AI to help manage the $20 billion in debt used to finance the buyout, according to people familiar with the plans.

Developers Worry About Job Security as AI Tools Expand

The mandate to use ReefGPT has created anxiety among staff, including character artists and level designers, who worry they are training technology that could eventually replace them. The concerns intensified after some quality-assurance workers were laid off following the introduction of AI tools to summarize playtester feedback, according to earlier reports.

The difficulties at EA reflect broader questions about AI's near-term productivity gains in software development. A 2025 report from research group METR found that experienced developers using AI tools took 19% longer to complete tasks than those working without them, owing to the need for human oversight.

EA demonstrated its AI tools publicly last year, though observers described the game-creation demo as "dull and derivative". Despite internal setbacks, the company recently announced a partnership with Stability AI, maker of the Stable Diffusion image generator, to develop new AI models for game creation.

The $55 billion buyout has drawn scrutiny from at least one union, which has suggested that investors will continue pressing for cost reductions through AI implementation, layoffs and studio closures.