Hideo Kojima: AI belongs in gameplay systems - not the art
Hideo Kojima has drawn a clear line: AI can live inside gameplay systems, but it won't make the art, write the story, or call creative shots. Ideas, tone, and visual direction stay human at Kojima Productions.
He's been consistent about this for years. AI is a support tool for efficiency and repetitive tasks, not a creative authority. That stance holds even as generative tools spread across game studios.
Where AI fits: systems, not style
In a recent interview, Kojima said his interest is in AI that manages gameplay logic-especially enemy behavior. He sees value in making encounters more responsive and less predictable, without outsourcing the art or visuals to a model.
Players move, react, and make choices differently. Most enemies still run on limited logic, which leads to patterns you can exploit. AI could read player habits and adjust enemy responses in real time to keep the experience fresh.
"By having AI compensate for those differences, the gameplay can gain more depth. And in most games, the enemies don't behave very much like real humans. But by using AI, enemy behavior could change based on the player's experience, actions and patterns. That kind of dynamic response would make much deeper gameplay possible," Kojima said.
Why this matters for creatives
This is a workable model for anyone building experiences: keep authorship human, use AI to power systems. Separate craft from computation. You keep the voice and style intact while upgrading the game loop.
Practical takeaways you can apply
- Design: Treat AI like a systems designer, not an art director. Use it to model player behavior, difficulty curves, and encounter logic.
- Art: Keep models away from final visuals. If needed, let AI assist with batch tasks (sorting, upscaling candidates, file prep), then finish by hand.
- Writing: Use AI for indexing, continuity checks, or testing branching logic-not for drafting key story beats or character voice.
- Production: Set clear rules. AI is allowed for systems, testing, and optimization; it's off-limits for concept art, style, and narrative decisions.
- QA: Spin up AI agents to probe edge cases and repetitive encounters so your team can focus on feel and polish.
The current status
Kojima didn't confirm whether this system-driven AI approach is already in development. Kojima Productions is working on multiple projects, including the horror title OD and the espionage-focused PHYSINT, but no specific game was tied to this idea.
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