European game developers fear AI speed-ups over layoffs, survey finds

A new European developer survey on generative AI is out, and the clearest takeaway is this: for developers in Europe, the bigger worry is being pushed to work faster, not losing their jobs outright. The survey says 61% worry they’ll be expected to move quicker and produce more, compared with 35% who fear lower demand or layoffs. Most respondents also say generative AI is already changing their work. In total, 78% say these tools have changed their jobs, with 33% saying significantly, 45% somewhat, and 22% not at all.

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Separate research points in much the same direction. It shows 54% already use generative AI tools every day, and some studio-level estimates run even higher. Just over half think quality could decline, 46% say skills are getting harder to judge, and concerns about originality reach 52% overall, climbing to 59% in creative roles. That helps explain why there’s still so much resistance to moving generative AI tools directly into production.

If you work in games, these reports are hard to brush off. Gamescom data says 35% of founders skipped hires because generative AI tools could do the work, and 83% expect changes to teams or productivity. Of that group, 36% expect roles to change, 33% expect smaller teams, and 17% expect no cuts. The survey reports also say 48% of founders are operating at a loss, 60% are keeping teams small, 29% cite ethics concerns, and 12% cite none. A 2026 Game Developers Conference survey found that 52% now see a negative impact, up from 18%, while 7% see a positive one. Usage is also split: 47% among management, versus 29% for employees.

The figures are all in the survey reports.