Games Workshop Bans AI Generated Content From Design Process
Games Workshop has taken a position on AI-generated content: “we do not allow AI-generated content or AI to be used in our design process…”
Earlier today, Games Workshop released their 2025-26 Half Year Results. These are your typical financials and updates regarding how the company is doing. Another major part of that document is the section where the Management gets to summarize different topics. And in that section, we can see a spot regarding AI, and its use within Games Workshop.
Games Workshop Says No To AI-Generated Content
The two paragraphs above are very telling. It’s clear that GW does not want to include AI-generated content for its products. This sentence in particular stands out:
We have agreed an internal policy to guide us all, which is currently very cautious e.g. we do not allow AI generated content or AI to be used in our design processes or its unauthorised use outside of GW including in any of our competitions.
This statement is telling. GW doesn’t want to have this technology used for creating or designing its products. If you’re wondering about the hard stance against using AI generated for their content, that answer is actually in the second paragraph:
We have also agreed we will be maintaining a strong commitment to protect our intellectual property and respect our human creators.
It’s all about intellectual property (IP) protection.
The Emperor Protects (His IP)
In the past, Games Workshop has mentioned that its most valuable asset is its IP. They’ve gone to court in the past to battle against bits makers to protect their IP. While that lawsuit didn’t win them many fans, the point was made. GW is known for ferociously defending its IP. From a legal standpoint, even if you don’t agree with them, it still makes a lot of sense.
In more recent times, with the rise of 3D printing, they have only gotten more aggressive. I am aware of another lawsuit that’s brewing regarding a certain 3D printing/miniature company. While that might seem like a large company bullying a little one, this case is a lot more complex than that. It’s a fact that with IP if you don’t vigorously defend it you can lose your rights to it. That’s exactly what GW is doing.
That said, what does this have to do with AI-generated content? Well, again, from a legal standpoint, this is complicated. There are loads of legal IP landmines that are involved with AI-generated content right now. Many of those issues are yet to be resolved in court or by congress. It’s still a question if AI-generated content can even be copyrighted.
And there in lies the issue. If GW can’t definitively copyright AI-generated content, then it becomes harder to defend their IP in court. By banning its use for creative content in their products, they are removing that as an issue for themselves. Basically, because AI-generated content is currently in legally murky waters, it’s best to not mix that content with their current IP library. Once you mix those pools, it gets really messy to separate them again.
A Silver Lining
I didn’t want to end this one on such a downer note. So I DID want to point out one other thing that I found really positive about this whole situation:
In the period reported, we continued to invest in our Warhammer Studio – hiring more creatives in multiple disciplines from concepting and art to writing and sculpting.
Games Workshop is doubling down on their people. They have hired more creatives instead of replacing them with AI slop generators. It’s one lesson I think other industries could learn from. And, if you’re looking at GW’s financial reports, it sure seems to be working for them!
Abominable Intelligence, Indeed!
