NieR Director Yoko Taro Worries Game Creators Will Lose Jobs Because of AI, Leading To Them Being ‘Treated Like Bards’

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in games has been discussed more and more lately. NieR series director Yoko Taro has weighed in too, expressing concern that it could lead to game creators losing jobs to AI.

In a recent interview at Famitsu, as translated by Automaton, several Japanese game developers known for narrative and storytelling discussed their approach to game creation. Alongside Yoko Taro, there was also Kotaro Uchikoshi (Zero Escape, AI: The Somnium Files), Kazutaka Kodaka (Danganronpa), and Jiro Ishii (428: Shibuya Scramble).

During the interview, the group was asked what the future of adventure games might be, and both Yoko and Uchikoshi discussed AI.

“There’s a lot of new games I want to create, but with AI technology evolving at such a high speed, I fear that there is a possibility that AI-generated adventure games will become mainstream,” said Uchikoshi. He went on to note that current AI struggles to achieve “outstanding writing” comparable to human creativity, and that maintaining the “human touch” would be crucial to staying ahead of the tech. Yoko, though, also expressed concerns.

“I, too, believe that game creators may lose their jobs because of AI,” said Yoko. “There’s a chance that in 50 years, game creators will be treated like bards.”

When it came to whether they thought AI could imitate the worlds and stories, including the twists and turns, of their works, Yoko and Ishii agreed. Kodaka, however, said that even if AI could imitate their work and styles, it wouldn’t be able to behave like a creator. He drew comparisons to David Lynch, and how creators could write a scenario in Lynch’s style, but Lynch could then change up his own style while still making it feel authentic and Lynchian.

While Yoko posed the idea of using AI to generate new scenarios, like a route in an adventure game, Kodaka noted how this personalized nature would lead to games being less of a shared experience.

Notable creators have been weighing in with their thoughts on AI, large language models, and other generative systems for a while now. Some have even been experimenting with it, including Capcom and Activision. Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa recently said generative AI can be used in “creative ways,” but it would also raise issues with intellectual property rights. Microsoft and PlayStation have also weighed in on the topic.

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.