Has *The Witcher 4* Also Started Using AI? Was This a Smart Move by CDPR?

CD Projekt Red has officially confirmed that it is integrating AI-based tools more actively into the development pipelines of The Witcher 4 and Cyberpunk 2. For a team known for its strengths in narrative, quest design, and world atmosphere, this is not just some lightweight tech slogan, but a shift in development methodology.

At present, the direction laid out by management is very clear: AI will mainly serve to create more realistic NPC behavior and improve production efficiency. Specific uses include automating prototyping, testing, and generating crowd systems with NPCs that feel more like “real people.” CDPR also mentioned that related systems have already been used in “more than a dozen research projects,” indicating that this is not merely a paper plan, but something that has already entered the experimentation and validation stage.

Looking at the timeline, this shift is actually quite revealing. In January 2024, co-CEO Adam Badowski still emphasized that AI should improve workflows, but not replace humans. By March 2025, Michał Nowakowski was still cautious about generative AI during the earnings call, with the core concern being the complexity of copyright issues. At the time, the company was even opposed to using such tools in future large-scale projects. But now, the policy has clearly loosened—one could even say it has fully pivoted.

I think the key to this move is not “whether AI is being used,” but “where AI is being used.” If it is only being used for testing, prototyping, and filling out the density of city crowds, then it is actually a plus for open-world RPGs. What players are truly sensitive to are the parts that most strongly reflect authorship: quest writing, the soul of the characters, and the core artistic style. Once generative content crosses the line from assistance into those areas, controversy will erupt immediately.

CDPR itself has also acknowledged that generative AI comes with “regulatory and interpretive uncertainty,” especially when intellectual property protection is involved. This is a very practical concern. The game industry is now deeply divided on AI: supporters value efficiency, while opponents worry that creativity will be diluted, jobs will be squeezed out, and the origins of assets will become unclear. When applied to a highly anticipated title like The Witcher 4, public scrutiny will only be magnified.

If I were to make a trend judgment, I would say this: it will become increasingly common for major AAA teams to treat AI as a “middle-layer development tool,” starting with testing, background NPCs, and workflow automation, then gradually probing deeper into more advanced generative processes. The significance of CDPR’s move lies precisely in showing the industry that even studios most committed to immersive worldbuilding are beginning to seriously bet on this path.

For players, there is still no need to rush to a conclusion. There are really only two things worth watching: first, whether The Witcher 4’s NPCs and open world become more natural as a result; second, whether CDPR can keep the gains in efficiency and the boundaries of creativity within a range that core players can accept. AI may help them make towns feel livelier, but whether this game can truly move people will, in the end, still depend on humans.