Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support collaboration between artificial intelligence researchers and video game developers to increase innovation and high-skilled employment.

The government recognises AI’s established role in the UK's video game sector, such as supporting content generation and character behaviours. As technology advances, AI has the potential to further enhance creativity, efficiency, and accessibility in games development.

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has invested in the Centre for Doctoral Training in Intelligent Games and Game Intelligence (IGGI) since 2014. IGGI has produced over 60 PhD graduates at the intersection of AI, games, and human-computer interaction, focused on using games to drive innovation, improve well-being, and tackle societal challenges. Graduates have turned research into business value across the creative industries, including roles at Sony AI and Google DeepMind. The Government will continue engaging with the games industry to understand opportunities and challenges regarding responsible use of AI, to ensure the UK’s innovative games industry thrives in the age of AI.

Our Creative Industries Sector Plan, published in June, announced a number of measures that will support innovation across the creative industries. This includes a £100 million investment to support R&D creative clusters across the UK; and the UKRI will lead efforts to significantly increase public funding and leverage substantial industry investment to promote R&D and innovation in the Creative Industries.