IO Interactive’s art director Rasmus Poulsen has offered a candid look behind the curtain of the studio’s upcoming James Bond game, 007: First Light, revealing that the collaboration with license holders Amazon MGM has gone far more smoothly than outsiders might expect — and that the team has steered clear of generative AI throughout the project’s development.
In a recent interview with Eurogamer, Poulsen described the process of aligning with Amazon MGM and other brand partners — including iconic names like Omega and Aston Martin — as “surprisingly straightforward.” The key, he explained, was the extensive research IO Interactive conducted early on to reverse-engineer what he calls the “DNA” of Bond. By arriving at discussions with a clear, well-researched vision for a younger take on the character, the studio found that conversations about creative direction flowed naturally. “The premise is easy to understand, easy to discuss,” Poulsen said, adding that “delivering it, that’s the challenge.”
His comments stand in notable contrast to the widely reported difficulties surrounding the live-action side of the Bond franchise, where Amazon MGM’s stewardship has been marked by slow progress and industry speculation about the series’ future direction. For IO Interactive, however, the gaming side of the license appears to have been a different story entirely, with Poulsen expressing genuine surprise at how smoothly the partnership has functioned.
On a separate but equally topical front, Poulsen confirmed that the studio has not employed any generative AI tools in the making of First Light. When asked about the subject — particularly fitting given that the game’s own plot reportedly deals with the intersection of artificial intelligence and the defense industry — Poulsen drew a thematic parallel. “The thematics of Bond are often: beware of utopia,” he told Eurogamer, noting that utopia “comes in many shapes and forms.” He described the decision to avoid generative AI as the result of deliberate discussions among the studio’s leadership, though he declined to elaborate further, acknowledging the complexity of the debate.
IO Interactive’s stance places it alongside other high-profile studios that have recently distanced themselves from generative AI in their creative pipelines. Rebel Wolves, the developer behind The Blood of Dawnwalker, made a similar declaration, with co-founder Tomasz Tinc insisting that nothing in their game was created using such tools. The growing number of studios publicly rejecting generative AI reflects an industry still grappling with the technology’s implications for creative labor and artistic integrity.
007: First Light, which promises a fresh origin-story take on the iconic spy, continues to build anticipation as one of the most closely watched titles in development. With a clear creative vision, a cooperative licensing partner, and a human-driven development philosophy, IO Interactive appears to be crafting its Bond debut on its own terms.