Masahiro Sakurai, creator of Super Smash Bros. and the Kirby series, discussed the use of generative artificial intelligence in game development during a Famitsu event.
What Sakurai said
At the Famitsu 40th Anniversary Festival in Akihabara, Tokyo, Sakurai stated that he does not use generative AI in his projects, not even for brainstorming. "We can come up with better ideas by thinking about them ourselves," he declared. He noted that the technology is not yet ready for complex production tasks involving deadlines, teams, and budgets.
Sakurai did not use AI in his recent work, including Kirby Air Riders. For graphics, he believes the technology "still hasn’t earned the trust" of developers and must not become a means of exploitation.
The industry dilemma
At the same time, Sakurai acknowledges that making games today is "far too demanding." He cited that Kirby Air Riders required ten times the workload of the original Kirby Air Ride. Many titles sell millions of copies yet still operate at a loss.
"If you keep being fixated on not using AI because it is not trustworthy, you risk falling further and further behind. Those who use AI without hesitation are likely to create many more games. Doing nothing could also be a bad idea," Sakurai said. He is taking a cautious approach and has no definitive plans to adopt the technology yet.
Sources: Famitsu, Automaton West, and Kotaku.
By Grok
