Nintendo Bows To Keep AI At Bay As Company Strives To Keep a “Human Touch”

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Since the advent of generative AI online, debates have raged over its application and ethical implications. It appears that Nintendo has taken a firm position on the matter concerning its utilization.

It appears that AI could potentially be utilized in the gaming industry, as many developers are expressing interest in it. However, it seems that Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser doesn’t seem very enthusiastic about relying heavily on AI in the short term.

During a conversation with CNBC (as reported by GoNintendo), Bowser was questioned about incorporating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into games. He responded affirmatively, expressing his belief in its potential application within gaming environments.

If developers choose to use A.I., and it is a discussion right now at Nintendo, it’s not the only method of developing games. We still believe that what makes our games special is our developers, their artistic capabilities, their insight into how people play. There’s always, always going to be a human touch, and a human engagement in how we develop and build our games.

To put it simply, it’s clear that Bowser doesn’t criticize other companies for using AI. Instead, he praises the developers at Nintendo who create their popular games. In the ongoing debate about AI and its impact on artists, Bowser is taking a stance in support of human game developers, emphasizing their importance in game development.

Not All Creators

Despite a widespread opinion online viewing the application of generative AI as ethically questionable among artists, certain creators such as the director of cooperative game Split Fiction, Josef Fares, have embraced this technology. Specifically, he is open to AI being utilized within gaming, expressing his support for it.

We need to adapt to it… If it’s part of the industry we should see how to implement it to see how we get better games. I can understand the fact that some people could lose their jobs, but that goes for every new technology.

It’s worth acknowledging that creating full games using generative AI is likely to take more time due to the extensive work involved in pre-production, scripting, and testing phases. Despite some efforts, the results so far have been relatively simple compared to fully developed games.

To date, AI hasn’t experienced the same negative impact as movies or line art has; however, following the popularization of Ghibli-style trends, an increasing number of artists are advocating for protective measures concerning AI, to shield creators whose work the algorithms have been drawing inspiration from.

For now, Nintendo is gearing up for the release of the Switch 2 in June 5.

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2025-04-08 22:42