Larians Publishing Director Calls Square Enixs AI Tester Replacement Proposal Nonsense

The publishing director of **Larian**, **Michael Douse**, sharply criticized **Square Enix’s** plans to automate 70% of its quality assurance work using artificial intelligence. He referred to the idea of broadly replacing humans with AI as «foolish,» arguing that testers play a crucial role that machines cannot fulfill.

Earlier, **Square Enix** announced its intention to actively integrate AI into game development processes, including debugging. However, Douse believes the company is heading down a risky path.

**Michael Douse** acknowledged that artificial intelligence and automation are indeed essential for testing large-scale games, but he finds it absurd to consider that QA personnel could be replaced by machines. He emphasized that the human interaction with testers cannot be substituted by algorithms—these individuals help the team gauge the «spirit» of the project and promptly identify issues. The developer also pointed out that moving away from live specialists would hinder the growth of future talent in the industry.

**Michael Douse**