Level-5 CEO Defends GenAI Use, Targets 2-Year Major Game Development
Updated
Updated · Nintendo Life · Sep 12
Level-5 CEO Defends GenAI Use, Targets 2-Year Major Game Development
3 articles · Updated · Nintendo Life · Sep 12
Summary
Akihiro Hino apologized after Level-5’s Vision 2026 II showcase drew backlash for heavy AI-made footage, saying the company overused GenAI to make the presentation look more spectacular.
Hino said released games do not include “simplistic AI-generated output data,” with humans still handling scenarios, character designs and core settings while AI is used to convert artwork into assets such as polygons.
Level-5 still plans to keep using GenAI to streamline production, with Hino saying the goal is to cut major-title development cycles from 5 years to 2 years.
Criticism persisted after the statement, with Powerhouse Animation director Samuel Deats arguing GenAI is built on unpermitted scraped art, while Japanese fans said the showcase undermined trust in the company’s claims.
The dispute reflects a wider games-industry fight over GenAI, where efficiency gains are colliding with copyright, labor and environmental concerns.