Level-5 CEO Akihiro Hino has written a lengthy message on social network X about a viral post that has been doing the rounds on the platform. Hino said that a lot of developers are currently using AI for efficiency and not just Level-5, they simply just don't publicise it. Level-5 isn't using AI for 90% of their code as the viral post suggests with Hino saying it is a fallacy. He went on to say that if AI is viewed as an evil tool by the general public and is ostracised then it could hinder technological advancements in video game design and development. He concluded by saying that AI has the potential to shift big budget game development from 5-10 years to 2 years. Here's a rough translation:
"I came across an incident where a certain game developer had an award revoked because they used AI, and from there, people started digging up the fact that Level-5 had previously announced they were using AI to improve development efficiency—causing a lot of debate. I'd like to speak briefly on this.
First of all, at this point in time, I believe many game developers are already integrating AI into their workflows to improve efficiency. The only difference is whether or not they publicly announce it. That said, the claim that "Level-5 lets AI write 80–90% of its programming code" is a major misunderstanding. The truth is: there is an unreleased title themed around AI, and for that particular title, a programmer intentionally talked about letting AI write the code. That example was mentioned in the context of "maybe that kind of era is coming," and the idea blew up on its own.
On the contrary, if we really were able to create a game with 80–90% of the code written by AI, we'd be so far ahead that AI researchers would be begging to collaborate with us. We're not at that level yet. However—it's also true that AI issaving us a significant amount of development time, to the point where it could overturn established norms in game production. Instead of AAA games taking 5–10 years to develop, a future where we can play one every two years might actually become possible.
AI is sometimes treated like it's synonymous with plagiarism. But think about knives— they can be used to cook, and they can be used as weapons. Computers can be used to make games, and also to commit cybercrime. AI, depending on how it's used, might create plagiarized content—but when used properly, it has the power to enrich the creative world.
During my lifetime, I want to see games evolve further. I want to witness—and create—dreamlike games that surpass today's AAA standards. If we allow society to form an image that "using AI is evil," digital technology could fall far behind. I hope both creators and consumers can understand that "AI is a tool—used by humans to create works."
With continuous technological innovation, I sincerely hope the game industry will continue to advance."
