AI Adoption Sparks Internal Tensions at Electronic Arts as Workforce Concerns Mount

The AI Divide at Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts, the video game giant behind franchises like “The Sims” and “Madden NFL,” is experiencing significant internal tension over artificial intelligence implementation, according to reports from Business Insider. A meme circulating among employees depicts CEOs demanding AI without clear objectives, reflecting widespread skepticism among staff about the technology‘s practical benefits and long-term implications.

The AI Divide at Electronic Arts
Executive Enthusiasm Meets Employee Resistance
Practical Problems and Job Security Fears
Broader Industry Context
Financial Pressures and Strategic Imperatives
The Human Factor in AI Adoption
Broader Implications

Executive Enthusiasm Meets Employee Resistance

Sources indicate EA leadership has spent the past year urging its nearly 15,000 employees to use AI for everything from coding and concept art to sensitive managerial conversations about compensation and promotions. Internal documents reportedly show employees in some business areas are expected to complete multiple AI training courses, use AI tools daily, and treat generative AI as a “thought partner.”, according to related news

This push comes amid broader industry trends where executives are embracing AI more enthusiastically than their staff. One global survey of 7,000 professionals funded by HR software company Dayforce found that 87% of executives use AI daily, compared to just 27% of employees. Another study commissioned by Upwork revealed that while 92% of C-suite leaders expect AI to boost productivity, 40% of employees blame it for heavier workloads.

Practical Problems and Job Security Fears

Employees who spoke anonymously with Business Insider described practical challenges with the AI tools they’re encouraged to use, including the company‘s in-house chatbot ReefGPT. Sources indicated these systems often produce flawed code and “hallucinations” that require correction, potentially adding to rather than reducing workloads.

Creative staff reportedly face additional concerns about training AI programs on their own work, with many fearing this could ultimately reduce demand for talent in roles like character artists and level designers. These worries appear substantiated by at least one case where a recently laid-off senior quality-assurance design employee told Business Insider that AI had taken over a key part of his job—reviewing and summarizing feedback from play testers., according to further reading

Broader Industry Context

The tension at Electronic Arts reflects wider concerns across the video game industry. A survey of 3,000 game developers conducted earlier this year found nearly a third believe generative AI is having a negative impact on the sector—a 12-point increase from 2024. Approximately half expressed significant concerns about the ethics of generative AI in game development, with respondents citing worries about intellectual property theft, energy consumption, and potential biases.

Analysts suggest these concerns are particularly acute in creative fields. “It’s a problem when the dogs won’t eat the dog food,” says Doug Creutz, an analyst at TD Cowen who covers the entertainment industry, referring to employee resistance to technologies promoted by leadership.

Financial Pressures and Strategic Imperatives

Electronic Arts has been embracing AI while facing financial challenges. Reports indicate net income fell 9.4% in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, with a 28% plummet in the final quarter. The broader game industry has seen workforce contraction following pandemic-era growth, with an estimated 14,600 jobs cut in 2024 alone according to industry tracking.

EA leadership has framed AI as essential to the company’s future. Chairman and CEO Andrew Wilson reportedly described AI as “the very core of our business” during a September 2024 Investor Day event. However, the company acknowledged potential risks in its May SEC filing, noting that inappropriate management of AI’s social and ethical issues could cause reputational harm and negatively impact financial results.

The Human Factor in AI Adoption

Management experts suggest the resistance EA employees are displaying reflects broader psychological dynamics around AI adoption. According to a meta-analysis of 163 studies published in the Psychological Bulletin, people prefer AI to humans in situations where the technology is perceived as more capable and personalization isn’t necessary. However, in creative, identity-laden work, employees typically want human involvement.

“Where work is highly personalized, identity-laden, or creative, employees want a human in the loop,” says Jackson G. Lu, a professor at MIT Sloan School of Management who led the research. He recommends that companies start by implementing AI in tasks it clearly handles better than humans, then gradually incorporate it into more sensitive areas while preserving human oversight.

Broader Implications

The situation at Electronic Arts illustrates the challenges companies across industries face as they race to implement AI. According to analysis from Bain & Company, average corporate AI spending roughly doubled in 2024 to $10.3 million. Meanwhile, workers increasingly recognize that the technology could fundamentally change or eliminate their roles.

“Don’t expect your employees to jump up and down at the opportunity to work themselves out of a job,” says Peter Cappelli, management professor and director of the Center for Human Resources at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.

As the industry navigates this transition, the fundamental trust gap between leadership and employees may prove the most significant barrier to successful AI integration. “There’s a fundamental lack of trust,” notes analyst Doug Creutz, comparing worker skepticism to the classic Charlie Brown football scenario where promised benefits remain perpetually out of reach.