Nintendo's legendary Kirby designer Masahiro Sakurai weighs in on gen-AI, saying "it has yet to gain my trust" but not to reject it completely

Masahiro Sakurai, renowned designer of Nintendo classics like Super Smash Bros. and Kirby, has spoken out on the use of generative-AI in game development. At a book launch event for his new book "Masahiro Sakurai's Thoughts on Games," Sakurai shared his thoughts on the technology.

Sakurai has not yet incorporated generative-AI into his game creation process, describing his role as that of an idea generator. He expressed that he currently lacks trust in the technology but is not dismissive of it entirely. He emphasized the importance of not exploiting the technology and that for now, generating ideas independently yields better results.

Despite his cautious stance, Sakurai acknowledges the challenges in game development today, noting that some games even incur losses after selling millions of copies. He suggested that companies in such a precarious position might need to reconsider their approach to generative-AI. While he advised against inaction, he also recognized the uncertainty surrounding its appropriate application.

The conversation around generative-AI in game development has been highly contentious, with some developers and players already using it in various disciplines such as programming and writing code. However, others, including the legendary Shigeru Miyamoto, remain skeptical about its capabilities, particularly for the more creative and artistic aspects of game development.