Nintendo is dubious about the use of generative AI in video games.
In a recent Japanese Q&A with investors, as translated by TweakTown, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said the company has no plans to incorporate generative AI in its first-party game development.
“In the game industry, AI-like technology has long been used to control enemy character movements, so game development and AI technology have always been closely related. Generative AI, which has been a hot topic in recent years, can be more creative, but we also recognize that it has issues with intellectual property rights,” he said.
“We have decades of know-how in creating optimal gaming experiences for our customers, and while we remain flexible in responding to technological developments, we hope to continue to deliver value that is unique to us and cannot be achieved through technology alone.”
As Furukawa notes, AI is intrinsically linked with video games, especially when it comes to the behaviour of non-player characters (NPCs). It can also be used to tighten up elements like lip-syncing in cutscenes to free up artists to polish other areas of the game.
On the flip side, there are understandable concerns regarding companies using AI to take away jobs from people, especially in the gaming industry. Recent examples of controversy include Ubisoft and Nvidia’s respective tech demos for AI-powered NPCs.
On top of these characters just looking and sounding incredibly robotic, developers have noted that using generative AI even for so-called “smaller” writing tasks for minor NPCs or character “barks” (brief lines of incidental dialogue, like battle cries) like this could take away valuable experience for entry-level writers who cut their teeth on such material. There are also situations like AI stealing art or manipulating real images of criminals, which also have to be carefully considered.
Of course, Furukawa’s words don’t completely rule out Nintendo turning to generative AI down the line, but it’s at least reassuring to see the company being more hesitant with the technology. For now, the company is focusing on its successor to its massively popular Switch system. The Japanese gaming giant has confirmed a full reveal of its new console will come sometime before April 2025, but that’s all we know officially for now.
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