Miyamoto on Gen-AI: Even If AI Does Everything, Human Designers Still Matter

Shigeru Miyamoto, the Nintendo veteran behind Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, says generative AI won't necessarily push human talent out of game development. Speaking at a press conference for his upcoming Order of Culture award, he argued that tools taking over labor can reveal what a designer is actually good at, and that a role for people will remain even if AI eventually handles everything.

Next month, Miyamoto will become the first video game developer to receive the Order of Culture from the Emperor of Japan, a highly prestigious honour. The press conference was held for the award, but he also used it to talk about AI in game production.

He framed the topic through his own generation's experience. "Our generation lived through a period of rapid computer development - a time when tools were constantly evolving, moving from typewriters to word processors," he said. As technology took on more of what might be considered labor, he argued, a designer's true capabilities "finally came to the fore." He suggested generative AI could trigger a similar shift.

Labor is not the same as quality

Miyamoto also warned about a trap that comes with hands-on work. "While the act of creation is inherently satisfying, there's a danger: one might find satisfaction in the labor itself and mistakenly believe that a high-quality piece of work has been created," he said. If generative AI takes over more production tasks, human developers might get "an opportunity to reflect on what's really important."

He pointed to past design work as evidence. "Looking back at past designs, there are some that were created merely by copying and pasting. Yet, such work rarely stands the test of time; it lacks the individual's particular design intention," Miyamoto said. He concluded: "Because the process relies on an individual's intent, with the computer serving as an assistant for the labor, I believe that even as technology continues to evolve, and even if AI were to eventually handle everything, there will always be a role left for us to play."

Where others in the industry stand

Masahiro Sakurai, director of the Smash Bros. series, has been less upbeat. He recently said generative AI could lead to a surge of unoriginal and unprofitable games, though he doesn't think it can replicate human creativity.

Nintendo hasn't ruled out using generative AI tools down the line. Last year, then Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser said the company's games would keep a "human touch." In his words: "We still believe that what makes our games special is our developers, their artistic capabilities, their insight into how people play."

That stance sets Nintendo apart from a number of its peers. Square Enix CEO Takashi Kiryu has said the publisher would be "aggressive in applying AI." Sega, Capcom, Level-5, Epic Games and other high-profile studios have acknowledged using generative AI in some form, and Xbox has opened a division that appears dedicated to experimenting with the technology.