Games Workshop, the manufacturer of Warhammer 40,000, has made clear that they do not use AI in any of their internal design processes. Kevin Rountree, CEO of Games Workshop, dedicated a section of the company's half-year's earning report to AI, stating that their internal policy is not to allow AI generated content or use AI in any design processes. This follows a previously stated policy of not allowing AI-generated imagery in any painting competitions.
"AI - A very broad topic and to be honest I’m not an expert on it," Rountree wrote. "We do have a few senior managers that are: none are that excited about it yet... We are allowing those few senior managers to continue to be inquisitive about the technology. We have also agreed we will be maintaining a strong commitment to protect our intellectual property and respect our human creators. In the period reported, we continued to invest in our Warhammer Studio - hiring more creatives in multiple disciplines from concepting and art to writing and sculpting. Talented and passionate individuals that make Warhammer the rich, evocative IP that our hobbyists and we all love"
Given that Warhammer 40,000 is a sci-fi franchise, AI is referenced in 40K lore in several places. Notably, the Imperium of Man (whose Space Marines are the faces of the Warhammer 40K) has banned Artificial Intelligence, calling it abominable intelligence. During mankind's Age of Technology, AI-driven Men of Steel turned against their human masters, which ultimately led to the ban on AI technology. In 40K fashion, the ban on AI is somewhat contradictory as the Imperium has a strong belief in machine spirits, an animistic belief that there is some kind of sentience in most machinery. The League of Votann also use AI - each clan of the squat abhumans are actually led by machine intelligence.
