Borderlands 4 Studio Has a “No AI in Any Work That Could Ever be Seen by Any Customer” Policy

Gearbox Entertainment CEO Randy Pitchford, known for often sparking debate online, recently stated his studio won’t use AI-generated content in games or anything players will see. This announcement followed a post where he shared an AI-created “selfie” designed to reflect his feelings while using the AI tool.

Following feedback that the AI-generated image was strange, Pitchford explained he’d intentionally asked the AI to depict its own self-perception, highlighting how ridiculous the concept of AI having an identity is. The next day, he added that the image was even funnier than he’d anticipated and he wanted to share the amusing result.

I don’t use AI tools like ChatGPT for work, and our company doesn’t allow it for anything customer-facing. I’m responding on my personal phone, separate from my work computer. Any information ChatGPT provided about Gearbox comes from publicly available sources – that’s why I made it clear it wasn’t based on inside knowledge. The timing and content of its response have nothing to do with any concerns you might have about recent game updates.

People are talking about the latest update to Borderlands 4, and many suspect the patch notes were actually created using artificial intelligence.

I mainly use ChatGPT like a search engine,” Pitchford said. “I also recently started experimenting with its image generation feature after some friends were having fun trying to get it to create pictures of itself.

Neil Pitchford’s comments on generative AI appear as many game companies are exploring how to use the technology in development. Interestingly, even the CEO of the company behind the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6 recently stated that generative AI isn’t being used in the game’s creation.

Todd Howard, head of Bethesda Game Studios, has also discussed using generative AI in their large role-playing games. He emphasized that having a clear artistic vision is crucial.

We’re approaching this very carefully,” Howard explained. “We see it as a helpful resource, similar to a data analyst, to examine information from our games. We’re not using it to create content; we believe artistic intent is crucial in our work and the work of others.

However, other game developers are also experimenting with generative AI earlier in the development process. For example, Katarina Popp, PR manager at Owlcat Games, revealed in March that they’re using it extensively for creating prototypes, testing ideas, and creating temporary assets for their upcoming sci-fi RPG, The Expanse: Osiris Reborn.

You can currently play Borderlands 4 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Although they initially intended to release it on the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2, work on that version has been put on hold.

I asked my AI to create a self-portrait showing its emotional response to our conversations, and this was the result. The words in the background are random and don’t have any actual meaning.

— Randy Pitchford (@DuvalMagic) May 3, 2026

The goal was to have the AI create an image of its own self-perception, highlighting how ridiculous it is to think of AI as having an identity. Your suggestion completely misses the point – how does it relate to that idea?

— Randy Pitchford (@DuvalMagic) May 4, 2026

I use ChatGPT essentially as a search engine. I recently started fooling around with the image generation as some friends were goofing around with making it try to make pictures of itself.

Prompt was: “Make a picture of yourself as if you worked at my company, Gearbox…

— Randy Pitchford (@DuvalMagic) May 4, 2026

2026-05-05 15:11

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