1666: Amsterdam’s developer says it ‘won’t be using AI anymore’, and the tech was only used ‘in conception and pre-production’—arguably the most creative phase of the entire process

There was surprise and delight when Summer Game Fest brought the reveal of 1666: Amsterdam, the long awaited dream project from Assassin’s Creed co-creator Patrice Désilets. But the mood quickly changed when eager players began exploring a playable prologue for the witchy action-adventure that was released alongside the announcement and began spotting in-game assets that had the distinct whiff of generative AI.

Désilets’ studio Panache Digital Games copped to using AI in the production of certain assets, then apologised and promised to remove those elements in time for the early access launch. With that launch happening last week, Désilets now says that Panache has decoupled AI from its pipeline entirely and it won’t be using AI in future.

Speaking to GamesRadar+, Désilets stressed that Panache was done with generative AI, and claimed that most of the AI used occurred in the early stages of the project. “Yes, we use some AI in the process, mostly at the beginning,” Désilets explained. “In conception and pre-production. It’s been totally removed and we won’t be using it anymore.”

As someone who likes their art made by, y’know, artists, I’m glad that Panache has done what it can to scrape generative AI out of 1666: Amsterdam. That said, it irks me when developers say they only used AI at the concepting stage of development, because that’s the most fun and rewarding part of any creative project.

That’s the part where most of the imaginative work happens, where you’re most creatively free and unshackled from the discipline and hard choices required to actually finish the darn thing. Handing that phase over to the mediocrity machine seems like such a betrayal of the creative process to me. It also raises an interesting philosophical point: can you reasonably say a game has no generative AI in it if you used the technology to help imagine the thing in the first place?

Either way, 1666: Amsterdam is now out in early access, and the Steam page does not have an AI disclosure on it. With or without AI, players currently seem divided over Amsterdam as an experience. The game currently sits at a ‘Mixed’ rating with 66% positive reviews, with users praising the setting and exploration elements, while cruising clunky combat and a general lack of polish.