Why the Lies of P Developer Wants an AI Artist for Its Next Games

The developer of the action RPG Lies of P is openly moving toward generative AI and has started looking for an AI artist for its upcoming projects. This is a striking example of how quickly AI is becoming part of mainstream game production rather than a side experiment. In this article, we’ll unpack what an AI artist actually does, why a successful studio would invest in the role, and what it could mean for visuals, jobs, and players in the years ahead.

From Soulslike Craftsmanship to Generative AI Experiments

The studio behind Lies of P built its reputation on meticulous art direction, dense atmospheres, and finely crafted environments. Its decision to bring generative AI into future projects by hiring an AI artist signals a clear shift: AI tools are moving from experimental corners into the center of production pipelines.

Rather than replacing artists outright, this move suggests a new hybrid role where human vision is amplified by machine-generated imagery. Understanding that distinction is key to predicting how games may look, feel, and even be made in the coming years.

What Is an AI Artist in Game Development?

"AI artist" is a relatively new title, but the work touches familiar pieces of the art pipeline. Instead of painting every texture or sketching every variation by hand, an AI artist designs and guides prompt-driven systems to generate visual material that the broader art team can refine and use.

Core Responsibilities

While each studio defines the role differently, an AI artist in a modern game team will typically focus on:

• Prompt engineering: Writing and iterating text prompts, image prompts, and style parameters to generate useful concept variations.
• Visual curation: Selecting the most promising AI outputs, discarding the rest, and ensuring everything fits the game’s art direction.
• Post-processing: Refining AI-generated images in tools like Photoshop, 3D software, or paint-over workflows.
• Pipeline integration: Working with technical artists to plug AI tools into existing asset creation processes.
• Ethical and legal checks: Helping the studio stay clear of IP conflicts and problematic training data.

In other words, the AI artist role blends art direction, technical experimentation, and production efficiency.

How Generative AI Changes the Game Art Pipeline

Generative AI does not magically produce game-ready art. Instead, it transforms where time and effort are spent. The Lies of P developer’s move hints at several shifts other studios are also exploring.

1. Faster Concept Exploration

Early pre-production often involves dozens or hundreds of sketches to find the right mood for environments, props, and characters. With generative AI, a small team can explore far more directions in less time.

• Generate many variations of a single idea (e.g., a boss design) in minutes.
• Test alternative art styles or lighting schemes quickly.
• Give directors a wider visual menu before committing to a direction.

2. New Roles for Traditional Artists

Traditional concept artists may shift toward curation, direction, and polish rather than producing every rough from scratch. This can free them to focus on:

• Key art pieces that define the game’s identity.
• Critical narrative moments and hero assets.
• Maintaining visual consistency across AI-assisted work.

In this model, the AI artist becomes a bridge between the raw power of generative models and the cohesive vision of the art director.

Potential Use Cases in the Lies of P Developer’s Next Titles

Without concrete details about the studio’s upcoming projects, we can only speak in general terms. Still, based on how similar studios use AI, there are several likely applications.

Environment & Prop Concepts

Dark, intricate worlds like those seen in Lies of P rely heavily on atmospheric props, architecture, and environmental storytelling. Generative AI can help:

• Brainstorm architectural motifs that fit a specific era or theme.
• Create variations of props, signs, and decorative details.
• Quickly visualize how a location looks at night, in rain, or under different lighting.

Costume and Character Ideation

Character art teams can iterate faster on silhouettes, materials, and ornamentation. Instead of designing every detail manually, they can:

• Feed base silhouettes into AI tools to generate clothing variations.
• Explore alternate color palettes or texture treatments.
• Test subtle design changes while keeping a consistent overall look.

Benefits Studios Hope to Gain from Generative AI

For a developer that already delivered a visually distinctive title, the decision to invest in AI has to offer clear benefits beyond novelty. The main advantages typically include:

Speed and Volume

Game production timelines are tight and content demands are huge. Generative AI helps teams:

• Create more exploratory art within the same time frame.
• Respond faster to feedback from directors and publishers.
• Adjust ideas late in production without derailing schedules.

Cost Management

While AI comes with infrastructure and tooling costs, it can reduce the number of low-priority manual tasks. Concept artists and 3D teams can spend more time on high-impact work rather than repetitive variations or throwaway sketches.

Creative Surprise

Many artists use AI tools specifically because they surface combinations and details they wouldn’t have drawn themselves. Used well, this can expand a studio’s creative vocabulary instead of narrowing it.

Risks, Controversies, and Player Backlash

Moves like hiring an AI artist can also be controversial. Players increasingly ask how generative AI affects jobs, originality, and the ethics of training data. Studios stepping into this space face several challenges.

Concerns from Artists and Fans

• Job security: Freelancers and junior artists worry AI tools will replace entry-level work.
• Style mimicry: Many AI models are trained on existing artists’ work, raising questions about consent and credit.
• Visual uniformity: Overreliance on AI can lead to assets that all feel vaguely similar across different games.

Reputational Risk for Studios

Studios that openly embrace generative AI must walk a line between innovation and community trust. For a beloved title like Lies of P, fans may worry that future projects could feel less handcrafted or more generic if AI is overused.

How a Responsible AI Artist Can Help

One reason to formalize an AI artist role is to give someone clear responsibility for how AI is used. Instead of letting every department experiment unsupervised, a dedicated specialist can guide policy and practice.

Key Responsibilities for Ethical Use

1. Define allowed tools and models: Prefer services with transparent training data or opt-in libraries.
2. Tag and track AI outputs: Clearly label where AI contributed to an asset to avoid confusion later.
3. Set boundaries: Decide which parts of the game must remain fully hand-crafted.
4. Collaborate with legal teams: Check licensing, data protection, and any contractual restrictions.
5. Involve the community: Communicate openly in dev logs or Q&As about how AI is and isn’t being used.

Skills Aspiring AI Artists Need

The Lies of P developer’s interest in an AI artist highlights a growing career path. For artists considering this direction, the strongest candidates will likely mix visual taste with technical fluency.

Artistic Foundations

• Strong sense of composition, color, and lighting.
• Understanding of character and environment design principles.
• Ability to paint-over and correct AI outputs quickly.

Technical and Tooling Skills

• Experience with popular generative tools (image diffusion, upscalers, inpainting).
• Basic scripting or pipeline knowledge to automate repetitive tasks.
• Comfort working alongside engine tools like Unreal or Unity.

What This Means for Players

For players who loved Lies of P, the obvious question is: will AI make the next game better or worse? The honest answer depends entirely on how the tools are used.

Possible Upsides

• Richer worlds thanks to faster iteration and more visual experimentation.
• More frequent content updates if pipelines become more efficient.
• Unusual, surprising designs that emerge from AI–human collaboration.

Potential Downsides

• A feeling that art is less "soulful" if AI outputs dominate.
• Inconsistent quality if some AI assets slip through with minimal polish.
• Backlash if the community feels traditional artists were sidelined.

How Other Studios Can Learn from This Move

Even without full public details of the Lies of P developer’s internal plans, other studios can treat this as a case study in how to introduce AI into a craft-focused team without losing what makes their games special.

Practical Takeaways for Game Teams

• Start with AI-assisted pre-production before touching final assets.
• Assign a single owner for AI strategy (like an AI artist) instead of ad-hoc experiments.
• Pair AI users with seasoned art directors to preserve a strong artistic voice.
• Set clear internal rules about where AI is prohibited (e.g., signature key art).

Final Thoughts

The Lies of P developer’s decision to seek an AI artist for future projects highlights a broader industry trend: generative AI is no longer a distant experiment but a practical tool that studios expect to shape their next games. Used thoughtfully, it can expand creative possibilities and lighten production burdens. Used carelessly, it can undermine trust, originality, and the handcrafted feel that players value.

For now, the most realistic future is not AI-made games replacing human craft, but mixed pipelines where human vision remains central and AI becomes another powerful brush in the toolbox.

Editorial note: This article is an independent analysis based on public reporting about the Lies of P developer’s interest in generative AI and an AI artist role. For more context, see the original coverage at Tech4Gamers.