Level-5 Confirms Use of Generative AI in Recent Showcase
- Level-5 CEO Akihiro Hino confirmed the use of generative AI in their recent digital showcase.
- Hino apologized for discomfort caused by the AI usage, stating it aimed to enhance the presentation’s appeal.
- Despite AI involvement, he emphasized that all core elements, like scenarios and character designs, are crafted by humans.
Akihiro Hino, the president and CEO of Level-5, has acknowledged that generative AI was utilized in the studio’s latest digital showcase. This announcement followed a wave of fan concerns regarding undisclosed AI involvement after the event was held last week.
In light of the criticism, Hino confirmed that AI was employed to enhance the visual quality of the presentation footage, noting, “It appears that some people felt uncomfortable about this, so I deeply apologise.”
1日違いの公式トレーラーですら顔が変わる品質で「AI使って効率化してるんです！」とか笑えるな
効率化した結果がこれかよ pic.twitter.com/3xWeg8M08J
— サラ-K-ジール(二代目) (@Sara_Return) September 12, 2026
One fan expressed their excitement about Level-5’s comeback with titles like Professor Layton and Yo-Kai Watch, but voiced concerns about the extensive use of AI in game development, stating, “But seeing this much blatant genAI being used across their games… yeah, this ain’t it.”
Hino further explained on social media that the integration of AI was primarily intended to create a more impressive presentation. He reiterated that the artistic aspects inherent to the games—such as narrative, character design, and core concepts—are developed by human creators.
He assured fans that their intent with AI is to streamline aspects of production, particularly in digitalizing creative processes like converting original artwork into 3D models. Hino emphasized that no purely AI-generated data was used in the final game presentations.
Additionally, the CEO noted that Level-5 is experimenting with AI to reduce the typical five-year development cycle to just two years. He acknowledged the challenges faced during this showcase due to AI’s broad application but promised to learn from the experience in preparation for future presentations.
Level-5 is not the only company to delve into AI technology, as numerous other gaming firms, including Krafton, Square Enix, and EA, are also investing significantly in AI innovations.
News Courtesy of Eurogamer
