“The Same Amount of Work, But Fewer People”: EA Employees Criticize Management Amid Layoffs and AI Implementation
Current and former employees of Electronic Arts have criticized the company's management for imposing generative AI amidst layoffs. According to them, management expects to maintain previous production levels with fewer employees by actively integrating neural networks into workflows.
This was reported by Vertical Slice, which spoke with several EA employees under anonymity.
“Morale remains terrible. We are constantly told, ‘Do less but do it better,’ but it feels like we're doing the same amount of work with fewer people,” one of the interviewees told the publication.
According to sources, EA's management is persistently pushing for the adoption of generative AI, although its use is not formally mandatory yet. The company effectively creates conditions where refusing to use neural networks becomes increasingly difficult.
“They don't say the use of these tools is mandatory. But they make it so that doing your job without them becomes increasingly difficult.”
According to interviewed developers, EA uses generative AI partly to determine how much its workforce can be reduced while still being able to release games.
However, a contradiction exists within the company between the calls to use AI and the actual working conditions with it. In a separate piece by Vertical Slice, it is reported that EA imposes monthly spending limits on neural networks for employees. According to one source, a colleague was forbidden from using AI for the rest of the month after exceeding a $100 limit.