DGA TALKS: Let’s Talk About Generative AI In Our Industry

When: Thursday, June 19 2025, from 15.00 to 19.00 pm
Where: Minnaertgebouw, Utrecht University, Leuvenlaan 4, 3584 CE Utrecht

Generative AI is transforming creative workflows, but what does that mean for our industry? How are Dutch game studios integrating these tools, and where do we draw the line when it comes to ethics, ownership, and originality?

Join us for a focused DGA Talks where speakers share their experiences, concerns, and questions around the use of generative AI in game development. What are the real-world applications, what dilemmas do we face, and how can you approach this technology responsibly?

Takeaways:

• Insight into how generative AI is already being used in Dutch game studios
• Practical considerations and ethical framework
• A clearer view of what genAI could mean for your own work

This is the DGA’s first meetup on AI since the rise of generative models, so join the conversation!

With thanks to Utrecht University for generously hosting this session.

A limited number of free tickets are available, so sign up quickly! If you can’t make it, please cancel your ticket so others on the waiting list can attend.

Hosted by Juney Dijkstra, Operations Director, External Development at EA. Founder & Director of the Game Production Community Discord.

Programme:

14:30 Doors open

15:00-15:25 Generative AI through the lens of the art director
Ludwin deploys generative AI during the development of the games he works on. What does that actually mean? How does he use it? And what does generative AI do with the job of artists?
Ludwin Schouten Lead Creative & Art Director at Cool Games

15:30-15:55 Video generation with AI
What is currently possible and what not? Should you use it? Could it be used to create cutscenes?
Jasper Vis Founder and CEO of HeadCandy and co-founder of MAXYMUM. Veteran creative and executive consultant in games and other, digital media.

16:00-16:25 Coding in the age of AI
Code assists like Cursor and Co-pilot are gaining traction. What does this mean for the job of the programmer? Is it even worth investing time in these tools or do they change too quickly? A bit of a reflection on genAI and coding.
Quinten Heijn Former Software Engineer, for among other Nationale Nederlanden. Published Research Paper on Procedural Content Generation in games. Now lecturer Game Development at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (HvA).

16:30-16:45 Break

16:45-17:10 Inside the laboratory
An outlook about some less practical but fascinating approaches that right now stay in Science (or R&D), and might not be profitable, or usable, or even desired for the game industry - while still capable of showing new paradigms of how games "could" work in an alternative future.
Johannes Pfau Assistant Professor at Utrecht University, specializing in the intersection of video games, artificial intelligence (AI), analytics, and data science.

17:15-17:30 Adoption of genAI in the Dutch games industry
Based on the most current available data an overview of the rate of adoption of generative AI in the industry. Who is using it, at which stage of development, why, and who is steering away from genAI?
Matthijs Dierckx Composer and writer (...ouch!), indie game developer at Studio Blue Storm, founder of Control Magazine and Conference, co-author of Games Monitor.

17:30-18:00 Panel discussion: What does generative AI do to our industry?
What does genAI mean to a CEO? More games or fewer employees? Or something different all together? What do you say to co-workers who fear their job is changing beyond recognition? Is there a role in this for the DGA?
Martine Spaans Game Publisher at FGL & Tamalaki, General Manager at the Dutch Games Association, Board Member of Benelux Games Promotional Initiative.
Laurens Rutten Founder & CEO of Cool Games.

18:00-19:00 Drinks