I've worked in game industry for decades. I've helped (amazing) art directors assemble mood boards for concept artists, been involved with this exploration process first hand. And let me tell you about using genAI for "exploration" and "ideation": it's a lie. AI can NEVER have original ideas.
Now I'm watching as CEOs push genAI on artists and directors. And honestly, imho, even those artists who say it helps them are doing worse off with it. Half the reason for "exploration" is to come up with new ideas from nebulous concepts. The best AI can do is mash together, which we did before AI
I've now had to witness some of the most awful, cringey presentations using AI "art" that is just miles away worse than reference/mood/exploration board I've ever seen. Not time was saved cause WHY DOES THE CEO/PROGRAMMER/ETC NEED TO CREATE THIS ART? "Programmer" placeholders exist and work fine!
Try to describe such a nebulous concept as art in text? It's a struggle to describe art, except in the most mechanical, rote way. Especially to AI which doesn't understand context just the most likely response. You end up with generic, rehashed "ideas", the same eact ones as everyone else using AI.
References? Google and Stock images exist. Sure search engines have been enshitified by AI but sometimes a camera and DIY will get you further than any AI when it comes to exploring new ideas and roughing out a concept. An AI doesn't save time here because again *try to write the image in your mind*