C-Suite Perspectives On AI: Brad Wardell Of Stardock Entertainment On Where to Use AI and Where to Rely Only on Humans
An Interview With Kieran Powell
AI is excellent for translation, but nuanced content still requires human oversight.
As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to advance and integrate into various aspects of business, decision-makers at the highest levels face the complex task of determining where AI can be most effectively utilized and where the human touch remains irreplaceable. This series seeks to explore the nuanced decisions made by C-Suite executives regarding the implementation of AI in their operations. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Brad Wardell.
Brad Wardell is the Founder and CEO of Stardock Entertainment, a pioneering game development and publishing studio based in the Midwest.
With over three decades of experience in the technology and gaming industries, Brad has been at the forefront of integrating cutting-edge technologies into game development, from early digital distribution platforms to the latest advancements in artificial intelligence.
Under his leadership, Stardock has developed and published critically acclaimed games that push the boundaries of strategy and creativity, including titles like Galactic Civilizations, Sins of a Solar Empire, and Ashes of the Singularity. Beyond gaming, Brad is also known for his thought leadership in AI and its potential to transform industries, as well as his commitment to fostering innovation within the tech community. His unique perspective as a veteran in both technology and entertainment makes him an invaluable voice in the conversation around AI’s evolving role in business and creativity.
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
Sure thing. I started the company to pay for college until I could get a “real” job. After building PCs with IBM’s OS/2, I really got into what was possible with programs that could multitask within themselves — something we call multithreading now. I decided to learn how to program and make a game in which computer opponents could “think” while the human player was making their moves. From there on, I was hooked on being able to use technology to make cool stuff for people.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Over the 30 years I’ve made so many mistakes it’s hard to narrow it down! Even the name of our company was unintentional.
The legal name of our company is Stardock Systems. It happened because I was paying for college by building PCs for people and when I went to order parts, they asked for the name of my company. I frantically looked around and the hardcover book I was reading had a chapter entitled “Stardock”. So, I blurted “Stardock…Systems!” and that name stuck.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
Yes, we are! One of the big things we’re working on is a new technology that lets developers add AI directly into their apps without needing to connect to the internet. This is important because it makes everything faster and cheaper to use.
For example, imagine you’re using an app where you type in the name of an animal, and the app has to find a matching picture. With our technology, the AI can quickly pick the closest match, even if the exact picture isn’t available. This kind of AI can be used in so many ways to make apps smarter and more efficient.
The best part is that as devices get more powerful, the AI will get better too, without any extra costs. It’s going to be a big deal for developers who want to create better, faster apps.
Thank you for that. Let’s now shift to the central focus of our discussion. In your experience, what have been the most challenging aspects of integrating AI into your business operations, and how have you balanced these with the need to preserve human-centric roles?
One of the most challenging aspects for us has been keeping up with the rapidly evolving capabilities of AI. I often remind our teams that this is “the worst” the AI will ever be because there’s a tendency for people to try something, find it lacking, and then assume it won’t improve.
This was particularly evident with our software development teams. Early adopters were initially disappointed with the quality of AI-generated code and have since become skeptical, despite the significant advancements that have been made.
Another major challenge is addressing the fear and misunderstanding surrounding AI. Sensational reporting often portrays AI as a job killer. I believe it’s a tool to enhance human productivity. Our goal has been to strike a balance by using AI to handle repetitive, time-consuming tasks, allowing our team members to focus on more creative and strategic work. It’s about leveraging AI to complement human skills, not replace them.
Can you share a specific instance where AI initially seemed like the optimal solution but ultimately proved less effective than human intervention? What did this experience teach you about the limitations of AI in your field?
Despite its rapid advancements, AI still has its limitations. A clear example of this occurred during the development of our recent game, Sins of a Solar Empire II. We found ourselves needing images for certain features that were delayed, so we decided to train a small AI model using our existing art assets. However, the results were far from ideal. The images were clearly AI-generated, and the quality didn’t meet our standards — largely because our training set was too small.
This experience taught us that while AI can be incredibly useful, it’s not a catch-all solution. The quality of AI output can be heavily dependent on the size and diversity of the training data. In creative fields like game development, human intervention is often still necessary to achieve the desired level of quality. It reinforced the idea that AI should be seen as a tool to assist human creativity, not replace it.
How do you navigate the ethical implications of implementing AI in your company, especially concerning potential job displacement and ensuring ethical AI usage?
At our company, AI isn’t about replacing humans — it’s about empowering our artists, developers, and writers to work more efficiently. For example, we still rely on human editors to review the writing in our titles. However, by integrating AI into the process, our editors can now review and edit much more text than before. This capability allows our writing team to produce longer and more detailed descriptions and lore for our games, which our customers greatly appreciate.
We’re mindful of the ethical implications of AI, especially regarding job displacement. Our approach is to use AI as an aid, rather than replacement for human creativity and productivity. This not only ensures that our team members remain essential to the creative process, but it also allows them to focus on the aspects of their work that require a uniquely human touch.
Could you describe a successful instance in your company where AI and human skills were synergistically combined to achieve a result that neither could have accomplished alone?
Certainly. A recent example of this synergy can be found in our game, Galactic Civilizations IV. We have interplanetary events narrated by an English-speaking voice actor. Traditionally, for other languages, we would only be able to provide subtitles due to the challenges of localization. However, in this case, our voice actor agreed to let us train an AI model using his voice. As a result, we were able to offer narration in multiple languages, all while maintaining the original voice actor’s unique tone and style.
This collaboration between AI and human talent allowed us to achieve something we couldn’t have done with either alone — offering a truly localized audio experience for our global audience while preserving the authenticity of the original narration.
Based on your experience and success, what are the “5 Things To Keep in Mind When Deciding Where to Use AI and Where to Rely Only on Humans, and Why?” How have these 5 things impacted your work or your career?
- AI can’t replace human artists, but it can be a powerful tool for them.
Think of AI as an assistant that allows artists to iterate on their work more quickly, freeing them to focus on the creative elements that only humans can truly master. For example, in our game development process, we use AI to generate rough drafts of certain visual assets. This allows our artists to experiment with ideas rapidly. However, the final touches — the soul of the art — are always human-made.
2. AI excels at handling “boilerplate” software development tasks, but it’s not a replacement for human expertise.
AI can save a lot of time on repetitive coding tasks, making it a valuable tool in software development. However, because AI is trained on existing code (some of which may not be high quality), it’s important not to rely on it for large-scale or highly specialized projects. In one of our projects, we used AI to generate routine code snippets, which allowed our developers to focus on more complex, innovative tasks that require human insight.
3. AI is good at mimicking human voices, but it should augment, not replace, vocal talent.
While AI can be impressive in generating human-like voices, it still struggles with nuance, such as the right inflections or emotional emphasis. For instance, in Galactic Civilizations IV, we used AI to extend our voice actor’s narration into multiple languages. However, we still relied on the original voice actor for key performances because achieving the same quality with AI alone would have been more time-consuming and costly.
4. AI can enhance writing and editing productivity, but it can produce generic content if not guided carefully.
AI can be a great tool to boost a writer’s output, especially for repetitive or straightforward tasks. However, it tends to generate content that can feel generic unless you invest significant effort in fine-tuning it. In our projects, we use AI to assist with drafting and editing large volumes of text, allowing our writers to focus on crafting more nuanced and creative content that AI struggles with.
5. AI is excellent for translation, but nuanced content still requires human oversight.
AI can handle straightforward translations, such as UI text strings, with a high degree of accuracy. However, when it comes to translating content with a lot of nuance, like poetry or fiction, a native speaker’s expertise is essential. For example, when localizing our games, we use AI for initial translations but always have a human review the output to ensure the translated content captures the intended tone and subtleties.
Looking towards the future, in which areas of your business do you foresee AI making the most significant impact, and conversely, in which areas do you believe a human touch will remain indispensable?
The most significant impact of AI will likely be in areas of business productivity that are often overlooked but incredibly valuable. For example, HR departments will increasingly rely on AI to generate job descriptions, and first drafts of press releases can be efficiently handled by AI. Reviewing lengthy documents and summarizing key points is another task where AI will become a standard tool. I also anticipate AI playing a major role in eliminating spam from our inboxes, making communication more efficient.
However, there are areas where the human touch will remain indispensable. AI, at its core, isn’t sentient; it lacks true “intelligence” and cannot be trusted with judgment calls that require moral or ethical considerations. While AI is excellent at identifying patterns in vast data sets, it shouldn’t be relied upon for complex ethical reasoning or moral judgement, as its underlying training data may not be fully transparent or appropriate for every situation.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 😊
I would love to see more progress in fostering empathy, especially in our online interactions. As we move further into this era in which people interact remotely, we risk losing some of our ability to empathize with one another.
In my travels, I’ve found that 99% of the people I meet are genuinely good people. If you pick a random person at an airport, chances are they’d go out of their way to help you if you needed it. However, in the age of social media and online-only communication, there’s a tendency to assume the worst about others.
If I started a movement, it would be one focused on enhancing empathy, possibly through AI advisors or something. Imagine AI agents designed to help us better understand and empathize with the people we interact with online, encouraging more thoughtful and compassionate communication. I believe such a movement could make a significant positive impact on how we connect with each other in this increasingly non-in-person world.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
You can find me over at Stardock (www.stardock.com).
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
Thanks for having me!
About The Interviewer: Kieran Powell is the EVP of Channel V Media a New York City Public Relations agency with a global network of agency partners in over 30 countries. Kieran has advised more than 150 companies in the Technology, B2B, Retail and Financial sectors. Prior to taking over business operations at Channel V Media, Kieran held roles at Merrill Lynch, PwC and Ernst & Young. Get in touch with Kieran to discuss how marketing and public relations can be leveraged to achieve concrete business goals.
C-Suite Perspectives On AI: Brad Wardell Of Stardock Entertainment On Where to Use AI and Where to… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.