An internal EA Sports presentation disclosed that Electronic Arts’ leadership is urging greater caution with AI, even as the company accelerates the technology’s adoption following a $55 billion deal with Saudi Arabia.
The presentation was delivered by Paul Marr, the former head of EA Sports strategy and now a vice president at EA. He reviewed the Deluxe edition cover for NHL 26, which was created using generative AI.
One slide stated: “Use AI to amplify ideas. Left unchecked, it produces mediocre work.” The presentation pointed to an AI-made Coca-Cola advertisement as an example. According to the source, the distinction in the slides between “broadening ambitions” and “relying on AI as a crutch” remained indistinct.
The NHL 26 cover features Keith Tkachuk alongside his sons, Matthew and Brady. Tkachuk was visually de-aged, while the images of his sons were fully generated. AI was applied at several stages of the creation process.
This aligns with EA’s internal guidance, which indicates that chatbots and AI tools are already used across nearly all workflows — from creative tasks to management. The company emphasizes that AI should not replace the work of its developers.
Source: iXBT.games