It's no secret that Level-5 has embraced Generative AI when it comes to game development, and CEO Akihiro Hino has been very open and honest about the fact that the company is using the technology in its games – but few expected the recent Level-5 Vision 2026 II Showcase to feature so much AI-made content.
As a result, Hino posted a statement on social media addressing concerns fans have raised about GenAI.
"This time, because we used AI for the footage within the event, it seems that concerns have arisen regarding the content of the works as well, so I would like to provide an explanation," he says on Twitter. "It was entirely due to the desire to make the presentation more spectacular that we incorporated processing that also served as an experiment using the latest AI. It appears that some people felt uncomfortable about this, so I deeply apologize."
He goes on to explain precisely how Level-5 leverages GenAI in its workflow:
"At our company, the parts that relate to the charm and individuality of the released works—such as scenarios, character designs, and basic settings—are all created by human hands. What we're aiming for in terms of efficiency through AI is mainly the digitization of creative work made by people, for example, accurately converting original artwork into polygons and such. Please rest assured that no simplistic AI-generated output data is included in the games that are released."
Hino then makes it clear that Level-5 will continue to use GenAI in order to streamline the development of its games:
"Thanks to the time created by AI efficiency, creators are now able to dedicate more time to the essence of creation, and I believe the finished products are turning out to a level that will satisfy everyone even more than before. Ultimately, under the plan to shorten the current 5-year development period for major titles to 2 years, we are in the stage of trial and error, and struggling forward."
While Hino is clear on the fact that Level-5 will continue to use GenAI, he does admit the "desire to create a clear and flashy presentation" led the company to over-rely on it for the recent presentation. "We will take this as a lesson and carry it forward to the next one, so please look forward to Level Five's next presentation."
سەرچاوەی فەرمی بە زمانی ئینگلیزی: https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2026/09/we-will-take-this-as-a-lesson-level-5-ceo-doubles-down-on-genai-despite-backlash
