Entertainment · Gaming · 5 hrs ago
Dwarf Fortress creator Tarn Adams rejects generative AI
Tarn Adams, who has worked on Dwarf Fortress with his brother Zach since 2002, says he has no plans to use generative AI in the game.
Dwarf Fortress is a simulation game built around a complex, procedurally generated world.
Its new Myth and Magic update adds procedurally generated magic systems connected to the game’s fictional history and cosmology.
Adams says AI-written code can be bloated and may make games use more computer resources.
He also worries that companies are adopting generative AI before it can do workers’ jobs well, while people fear being laid off or replaced.
Adams says he might reconsider if a platform made using generative AI necessary to release the game on Windows, where its players are.
For now, he remains focused on developing Dwarf Fortress without generative AI.
Dwarf Fortress creator Tarn Adams says he has no intention of using generative AI in the game.
He says AI-written code can be bloated and would not boost his productivity.
Adams is concerned that workers across the games industry and other fields are being pressured to use AI or risk losing their jobs.
He says platform requirements could force him to reconsider, particularly if Microsoft required generative AI for the game to be recognised on Windows.
Adams and his brother Zach have worked on Dwarf Fortress since 2002, and the game’s Myth and Magic update adds procedurally generated magic systems.
- Who
- Tarn Adams, creator of Dwarf Fortress, and his brother Zach, who has worked on the game with him.
- What
- Adams rejects using generative AI in Dwarf Fortress, citing concerns including bloated code and limited productivity benefits.
- When
- The interview was published on 2026-10-12.
- Where
- Not stated
- Why
- Adams says generative AI would not boost his productivity and that its code can be bloated. He also objects to its effects on workers.
Adams
Employers pushing AI
Use of generative AI
Adams
Adams says he has no intention of using it in Dwarf Fortress and does not think it would boost his productivity.
Employers pushing AI
Adams describes employers asking whether workers use AI enough and considering replacing staff with robots.
I don't think it would really boost my productivity at this point.
You can tell when you grab a vibe-coded game and your [computer] fan starts spinning. It's not good enough.
I have friends working in medical UI stuff, it's also just sweeping through there.
Tarn Adams and his brother Zach began working on Dwarf Fortress.
GamesIndustry.biz published its interview with Tarn Adams.
- Creators
- Tarn Adams and his brother Zach
- Development began
- 2002
- Interview published
- 2026-10-12
- Latest addition discussed
- Myth and Magic update
- New feature
- Procedurally generated magic systems
- Potential platform pressure
- Adams said a Microsoft requirement for generative AI on Windows could make him reconsider.
Sources
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