Nier Creative Director Yoko Taro Comments On AI-Generated…

Summary

Nier: Automata's creative director, Yoko Taro, predicts AI will put game creators out of work.
Taro stated, “AI will make all game creators unemployed.”
The director added that AI would shift the gaming industry from “an era where we have to imitate the style of our favorite creators to an era where we can have our favorite scenarios generated,” soon.

Weighing in on the controversial topic of AI and its presence in the gaming industry’s future, Nier: Automata creative director, Yoko Taro, has shared his opinion on where AI is taking the next step in game development, and his outlook is rather bleak. It’s no secret that AI has been a major cause for concern within several creative sectors over the last few years, one example being the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, and the Nier: Automata creator has shared a worrying opinion on AI’s impact in the gaming industry.

Nier: Automata exists alongside some of the best Square Enix sequels on the market, joining Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Kingdom Hearts 2, and NEO: The World Ends With You, and alongside the game’s initial release on the PlayStation 4 and PC, Automata later joined the Xbox One catalog in 2018 and the Nintendo Switch roster in 2022. Taro is also known for his work as a scenario writer on Final Fantasy 14: Shadowbringers, and his time creating the Drakengard series.

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During an interview with Famitsu (via VGC), Taro shared a concerning statement, saying “AI will make all game creators unemployed,” contrasting Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 director Daniel Vavra’s opinion on AI, noting his hopes the tech will speed up the amount of time allocated to game development to allow for quicker game releases. Taro shared his thoughts while promoting his upcoming game, Hundred Line, and believed AI would shift the gaming industry from “an era where we have to imitate the style of our favorite creators to an era where we can have our favorite scenarios generated,” soon. Taro added from a more technical standpoint that AI will likely “determine the preferences of users and skillfully generate route branchings that they would want to read, and the recommendation capabilities will continue to improve.”

Nier: Automata Creative Director Yoko Taro Thinks AI Will Make All Game Creators Unemployed

On the other side of the coin, Nintendo Boss Doug Bowser has also weighed in on the debate surrounding AI-generated games recently, but assured the industry that the Japanese publisher prioritizes developers and artistry. Going a step further, Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick entered the topic to push his belief that AI’s evolution would not lead to job losses, but instead, increase employment.

The controversial topic not only affects the gaming industry, but the film sector also faces similar concerns. Avatar director James Cameron is currently embracing AI to enhance visuals while cutting production costs, but the creator’s comments also sparked the debate on how the use of these tools will impact potential job losses and content quality. Both the video games and film communities are divided on the topic, with some supporting Cameron’s vision and others fearing the impact this will have on human creativity.

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