Minecraft developer Mojang has firmly stated that it has no plans to integrate generative artificial intelligence into its game development process. As the use of generative AI in game development becomes increasingly prevalent, with examples like Activision's use of AI-generated art in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Microsoft's development of Muse, an AI tool for generating game ideas, Mojang stands out by choosing to maintain a human-centric approach to creativity.
Minecraft, which has achieved the remarkable feat of selling 300 million copies, continues to prioritize the human touch that has contributed to its success. Agnes Larsson, the game director of Minecraft Vanilla, emphasized this during a recent event attended by IGN, stating, "Here for us, just like Minecraft is about creativity and creating, I think it's important that it makes us feel happy to create as humans. That's a purpose, [it] makes life look beautiful. So for us, we really want it to be our teams that make our games."
Ingela Garneij, the executive producer of Minecraft Vanilla, further elaborated on the importance of human creativity in the development process. "For me, it's the thinking outside of the box part. This specific touch of: what is Minecraft? How does it look? That extra quality is really tricky to create through AI. We even try to have remote teams sometimes and guide them in building things for us, which has never worked, because you have to be here working together face-to-face. Creativity is... you need to meet like this as a person, as a human to really truly understand the values and principles and the ecosystem, the lore, everything. It's so massive Minecraft, it's a planet, it's massive."
Mojang's commitment to human creativity is evident in their ongoing efforts to enhance the game. The upcoming graphics update, dubbed Vibrant Visuals, is set to be released soon, and the company remains steadfast in its decision not to transition Minecraft to a free-to-play model. This dedication to improving and expanding the original game aligns with Mojang's stance against creating a "Minecraft 2." Despite being 16 years old, Minecraft shows no signs of slowing down, and Mojang's resistance to incorporating generative AI into its development process remains unwavering.
For more details on what's in store for Minecraft, be sure to check out everything announced at Minecraft Live 2025.
