Games Workshop and AI: Warhammer in the Age of Slop

Some quick thoughts on GW's AI statement, and the future of wargaming in the world of AI

In the last couple of weeks, Games Workshop has put out a statement on its stance on AI. That means, in the words of Chief Executive, Kevin Rowntree:

“Maintaining a strong commitment to protect our intellectual property and respect our human creators."

First and foremost, this is welcome news, in the opinion of your humble author. At the risk of being labelled a Luddite in certain circles, I am generally opposed to the use of AI, and doubly so when it comes to creative pursuits. Perhaps there are excellent medical applications for Large Learning Models, but accelerating the climate crisis to create an ocean of slop-content generated from the sum-total of human creativity on the internet without the permission of any creator seems, to me, a poor choice.

Nevertheless, AI is an inescapable aspect of online discourse in 2026, and as a company whose business is rooted in creativity, GW's stance is both necessary and welcome. The company has positioned itself as a undisputed market leader in creating worlds, characters and - most obviously - works of art in the form of little plastic men. Incorporating AI into the creative processes at the heart of their business would likely be viewed negatively by their fan-base. What's more, GW as a company is already highly protective of their assets and implicitly critical of 3D printing*; their sceptical position on the use of AI is perhaps not all that surprising.

"AI is an inescapble aspect of online discourse in 2026, and as a company who's business is rooted in creativity, GW's stance is both necessary and welcome."

After all, would fans be as happy to splash out for a premium product (at, lets be honest, premium prices) if they knew AI generation was at their heart of its design? Could any time and cost efficiencies outweigh a potential loss of reputation from letting machine learning lose across their design and content workflow? I am not convinced.

Warhammer in the Age of AI

A perhaps more esoteric and interesting question posed by this is:

What does the current push for AI-everything mean for the future of Warhammer?

In a lot of ways, the central appeal of GW's product stands in direct contrast to AI. Warhammer is tangible. It is (essentially) offline. It is social. It cannot, easily, be faked. It is inherently creative; the only way to "succeed" (save paying for someone else to do it) is to sit down and do.

"In a lot of ways, the central appeal of GW's product stands in direct contrast to AI."

The purpose of building and painting little plastic figures is a purpose in and of itself. Of course there's a culture of improvement and optimisation in both painting and playing, made prevalent in the modern game as the reach and audience for competitive or skills-based content continues to perform well algorithmically. But fundementally, there is no need to succeed at Warhammer. Skills in painting, building and playing are slow to develop but provide a lifetime of satisfaction, whatever your level of output. Taking enjoyment from finishing a painting project or playing a game, regardless of how imperfect the end result, is already success enough.

If an AI bubble does materialise - and it seems certainly plauisble, if not certain, as I write this in early 2026 - there could be a genuine pushback against the AI giants that survive. Even if it doesn't, the increasing success of GW indicates that the role of "offline" activities in an increasingly online world might continue to play an important role in the lives of many, regardless of what other disruption the many-headed hydra of AI and social media might bring.

That is an environment into which something like Warhammer can continue to flourish. And keeping human-led creativity at the heart of GW's product seems a prescient step in ensuring that.

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Until next time,

Alex

*3D printers go brrr, and resin knock offs are slop.