Nintendo becomes biggest video game company to speak out against AI

Key Takeaways

• Nintendo is opposed to generative AI in game development due to intellectual property concerns.
• Furukawa emphasizes Nintendo's unique values ​​and experience.
• Sony and Microsoft are using AI in game development, in contrast to Nintendo's approach.

While many video game companies, such as EA and Ubisoft, have publicly committed to using generative AI technology to help speed up the game development process, Nintendo has recently taken a public stance against it, with Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa confirming that the company will not be using any of this type of AI during game development. And his reasons behind this decision are actually pretty solid.

Why Nintendo says it won't use any generative AI in new games

IP concerns are at the forefront

During a Q&A with Nintendo shareholders earlier this week, Furukawa said that generative AI “has intellectual property rights issues,” adding, “We have decades of accumulated know-how for providing our customers with the optimal gaming experience, and we want to continue to provide our own unique value that cannot be achieved through technology alone, while responding flexibly to technological developments.”

Furukawa also acknowledged that this position only applies to generative AI, as specific AI routines that control enemy movements have been used in video games for decades.

This is a big difference from other game console manufacturers.

Sony and Microsoft are now using AI

That's in contrast to other console makers. Microsoft is fully committed to AI, even partnering with Inworld AI to build AI game dialogue and narration tools at scale. Sony has been clear that AI is not a substitute for human creativity, but CEO Kenichiro Yoshida recently acknowledged that the technology is “being used for creativity,” though it's unclear how or in what capacity.

With Nintendo taking a completely opposite view to the rest of the industry, it will be interesting to see what the future of video games holds and how AI technology will impact next-generation titles, especially as concerns continue to grow about where generative AI will draw its information from. Will Nintendo's blanket ban on the technology preserve the uniqueness of its library? Or will smart use of the technology by Sony and Microsoft usher in a new golden age of game development?