Mojang Rejects Generative AI, Emphasizes Creativity in Minecraft

In the ever-evolving world of game development, the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly prevalent. From Activision's admission of using AI-generated art in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 to Microsoft's development of Muse, an AI tool designed to generate game ideas, the impact of AI is undeniable. However, Mojang, the developer behind the mega-hit Minecraft, stands firm in its decision to eschew generative AI in its creative process.

Minecraft, which boasts an astounding 300 million sales, remains a testament to the power of human creativity. 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."

Echoing this sentiment, Ingela Garneij, executive producer of Minecraft Vanilla, highlighted the importance of human collaboration and intuition in crafting the unique essence of Minecraft. "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," Garneij explained. "I mean 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."

As Mojang continues to build on Minecraft's record-breaking success, the studio remains committed to human-driven development. The upcoming graphics update, Vibrant Visuals, is set to enhance the game further, while Mojang steadfastly refuses to adopt a free-to-play model or create a "Minecraft 2." Even at 16 years old, Minecraft shows no signs of slowing down, and generative AI remains firmly outside the Nether.

For more on what's in store for Minecraft, be sure to check out everything announced at Minecraft Live 2025.