The use of artificial intelligence continues to be a hot topic in Dungeons & Dragons circles, largely due to the contradictory statements made by the tabletop RPG’s design team and their boss, Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks. Generative artificial intelligence continues to be a hot buzzword in many industries, with CEOs and tech types looking for ways to incorporate AI into their business models. AI is seen as a way to streamline productivity by replacing human work with work generated by a computer. While AI is being incorporated into more projects, it’s yet to make a noticeable impact in any gaming fields.
One area where tension exists over AI is Dungeons & Dragons. The game and its franchise team at Wizards of the Coast have come out against using AI to create DnD products. While DnD has an official statement speaking out against AI posted to official websites, the CEO of Hasbro, Chris Cocks, has repeatedly spoken out in favor of using AI in various DnD-related projects. Based on how bullish Cocks is on AI, it seems almost certain that DnD is approaching a crossroads, one that could be disastrous for the game if it heads in the wrong direction.
What Hasbro’s CEO Has Said About AI and D&D
Hasbro’s CEO Has Repeatedly Pushed For Using AI To Facilitate D&D Games
Cocks has repeatedly pushed the idea that AI can be used to enhance Dungeons & Dragons games. In a September 2024 discussion with Goldman Sachs (via EN World), Cocks pointed to his personal experience using AI in DnD games. “I play with probably 30 or 40 people regularly,” he said. “There’s not a single person who doesn’t use AI somehow for either campaign development or character development or story ideas. That’s a clear signal that we need to be embracing it.“
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Cocks doesn’t seem to be as interested in using AI to create DnD adventures for sale, but rather products designed to spontaneously create paths forward in DnD campaigns. In the same interview, Cocks said, “The themes around using AI to enable user-generated content, using AI to streamline new player introduction, using AI for emergent storytelling, I think you’re going to see that not just our hardcore brands like DnD but also multiple of our brands.”
More recently, Cocks brought up potential AI products for DnD in an interview with Semafor. Calling himself an “AI bull,” Cocks mentioned an AI subscription service to allow Dungeon Masters to “enrich” their DnD campaigns and referred to AI as “a great leveler for user-generated content.” “[AI is] supercharging fandom,” Cocks said in the Semafor interview, “and I think that’s just net good for the brand.”
D&D’s Official Stance on AI Explained
D&D’s Design Team Has Banned Use Of AI In The Making Of D&D Products
While Cocks is bullish on AI, DnD has specifically spoken out against using AI in its projects. After a freelance artist admitted to using AI to generate artwork for Bigby’s Presents: Glory of the Giants, DnD released a series of statements via the D&D Beyond platform about the use of AI to make DnD products. “Our internal guidelines remain the same with regards to artificial intelligence tools: We require artists, writers, and creatives contributing to the DnD TTRPG to refrain from using AI generative tools to create final DnD products,” the statement reads.
DnD’s designers have also repeatedly pointed out that Dungeons & Dragons is a game made by people for people. Their statement specifically points to the human element as what makes DnD what it is and why it continues to be so special to millions of players around the world. “We work with some of the most talented artists and creatives in the world, and we believe those people are what makes DnD great,” their statement reads.
Why D&D Is On A Collision Course With AI
D&D’s Statements Clash With Statement Of CEO
Obviously, Cocks’ stance on AI is incompatible with the DnD team’s view on AI. However, there does appear to be some wiggle room that Cocks could use to push a DnD-branded AI product of some kind. While physical and digital DnD products like adventures are clearly off-limits (per the DnD statement on AI), there’s nothing that prevents Wizards from releasing a generative AI tool that “enhances” the DnD experience in a similar manner to Maps or Dungeons & Dragons‘ Sigil on D&D Beyond. That could range from creating quick AI-generated adventure prompts to something more complex like artwork or landscapes.
However, there are still several hurdles and pitfalls that a DnD-branded AI product would face. The first is the obvious issue of training the AI tool. Wizards of the Coast owns tons of artwork and adventure content related to DnD, but they still might face royalty issues. The second is how DnD would sell this products to fans, given that the design team has so strongly come out against AI in the past. Finally, there’s the matter of implementation, as Wizards would likely have to make significant investments to create any AI-based product.
D&D & AI Would Be Disastrous For The Game
AI Ignores The Human Element of D&D, Which Is Crucial
Ultimately, I think that any “official” AI product would be disastrous for Dungeons & Dragons. The game is an expression of human creativity and has thrived on that creativity for decades. It is in essence a grassroots game, a way for people to enjoy each other’s company and tell captivating stories. Although DnD players have always used shortcuts to tell those stories (such as pulling monsters from other fantasy stories or folklore), they were moderated by humanity and not by a computer program.
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Additionally, the majority of DnD players seem to be firmly against AI products for DnD. The game is still recovering from the OGL crisis a couple years ago, where Wizards of the Coast tried to scuttle a long-standing license that allowed third parties to publish DnD books and material. Releasing an AI product would likely draw the ire of countless DnD fans and would likely push even more players away from the game. To be blunt, it’s bad business for DnD to release an AI product of some kind, although it’s unclear if C-suite executives understand that.
At the end of the day, Dungeons & Dragons is a game made by humans for humans. The designers and team that stewards the game understand that, but their boss doesn’t seem to understand or care. There seems to be a serious inflection point approaching for DnD when it comes to official AI products, and all we can hope is that those who understand what makes Dungeons & Dragons so wonderful ultimately win the day.
Source: EN World, Semafor, D&D Beyond
Dungeons and Dragons
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Dungeons and Dragons is a popular tabletop game originally invented in 1974 by Ernest Gary Gygax and David Arneson. The fantasy role-playing game brings together players for a campaign with various components, including abilities, races, character classes, monsters, and treasures. The game has drastically expanded since the ’70s, with numerous updated box sets and expansions.
- Original Release Date
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1974
- Publisher
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TSR Inc., Wizards of the Coast
- Designer
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E. Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson
- Player Count
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2-7 Players
