• Business Production News Krafton names chief AI officer to ‘advance AI-driven game innovation’ The Subnautica and PUBG publisher claimed it will only ever use AI to amplify ‘human imagination and creativity.’ February 23, 2026 Subnautica and PUBG publisher Krafton has appointed Kangwook Lee as chief AI officer (CAIO) to develop AI technologies it claims will “enhance gameplay experiences and support development teams.” The South Korean company said the newly-created role will help formalize leadership across gameplay, AI, developer tools, and long-term research initiatives. • Lee has served as head of Krafton AI since 2022. • During his tenure, he directed internal research into machine learning, language models, natural language processing, reinforcement learning, and multimodal systems. • He also orchestrated significant external partnerships-such as the collaboration with Nvidia that facilitated the creation of AI-enabled Co-Playable Characters (CPCs)-while helming Krafton’s proprietary foundation model project. • Many of those initiatives are examples of generative AI technology-which continues to divide opinion across the game industry-being put into practice. • Related:Ex-Radical Entertainment, Hothead Games devs form new studio Lee said Krafton only intends to use AI to “amplify human imagination and creativity,” as opposed to replacing workers.

Article Summaries:

  • Krafton, the publisher behind Subnautica and PUBG, has appointed Kangwook Lee as its first chief AI officer (CAIO). The new role will formalize leadership over AI‑driven gameplay, developer tools and long‑term research. Lee, who has headed the company’s AI team since 2022, will steer initiatives such as Nvidia‑powered co‑playable characters and a proprietary foundation‑model project. Krafton says AI will “amplify human imagination,” not replace staff, and will focus on three pillars: enhancing gameplay immersion, streamlining development workflows, and exploring long‑term research in physical AI and robotics. The move follows a recent “AI‑first” strategy and a voluntary resignation program amid the company’s record‑earning year.
  • Krafton, the South Korean publisher behind Subnautica and PUBG, has appointed Kangwook Lee as its first chief AI officer (CAIO). The new role formalises leadership over AI‑driven gameplay, developer tools and long‑term research. Lee, who has headed the company’s AI team since 2022, will steer projects that use generative AI to enhance player immersion-such as Nvidia‑powered co‑playable characters-while keeping human designers in final control. Krafton’s strategy focuses on three pillars: elevating gameplay, supporting development teams with AI‑assisted workflows, and exploring long‑term research through its Ludo Robotics unit. The company stresses that AI will amplify creativity, not replace staff, as it pursues an “AI‑first” vision amid record revenue from its flagship titles.

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