Hideo Kojima Embraces Gen AI in Games — But Draws the Line at Replacing Artists

Hideo Kojima is pro-AI, but not for the reasons you keep seeing on timelines. In a chat with CNN last week, the Death Stranding director said he wants AI shaping how games play, not churning out art to save a buck. Honestly, that sounds like the only version of this conversation that doesn’t flatten what makes games, you know, games.

Kojima wants AI driving play, not replacing artists

Kojima’s take is simple: use machine learning under the hood to make systems smarter, not in the art pipeline to spit out concepts and textures.

"Rather than having AI create visuals or anything like that, I’m more interested in using AI in the control systems."

He’s talking about enemies and NPCs that don’t just loop the same canned behavior until you break them. Imagine combat scenarios that actually notice how you move, what you favor, and then counter you in ways that feel more human and less predictable.

"By using AI, enemy behavior could change based on the player's experience, actions and patterns."

That’s the lane he’s drawing: AI as a tool to deepen interaction, not as a shortcut for visual storytelling or world-building, both of which rely on human taste, context, and culture.

The timing is not subtle

Kojima’s comments landed just days before two loud AI flare-ups took over the end-of-year discourse:

• Larian Studios addressed questions about early-stage generative AI involvement, offering a clarification that set off a fresh round of debate among Baldur’s Gate 3 fans.
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 picked up nine Game Awards, including Game of the Year, even as players flagged AI-generated assets that slipped into the release.

What he’s really arguing

His pitch backs the one place AI already makes sense in games: systems. NPC logic, enemy behavior, and reactive encounters are a natural fit for machine learning because they’re about reading player inputs and adjusting in real time. That’s additive.

On the flip side, using models to spit out character designs, environments, or story beats strips away the human judgment that gives those things texture and meaning. You tend to get slick imitations that look right at a glance and collapse under scrutiny.

Studios chasing efficiency treat both sides like they’re the same. Kojima’s framework draws a line: keep AI in the backend so it enriches play without stepping on artists.

Will Kojima actually ship this?

We’ll see. Projects like OD and whatever comes after are fertile ground for him to try it. This is the guy who pitches big swings that either reset the meta or leave people baffled on day one and obsessed by week two. Both outcomes are on the table.

Does Kojima’s AI philosophy feel like the right compromise, or will most studios keep prioritizing budgets over bold design? Drop your take below.