Currently, everyone seems to be either excited or worried about the extent of disruption AI will bring to various industries. Against this backdrop, hearing someone essentially adopt a "it's no big deal" attitude is rather refreshing. This appears to be the viewpoint conveyed by Konami President Hideaki Hayakawa in the company's latest financial report.
This financial report, uncovered by the Japanese media outlet Dengeki and translated by Automaton, details Konami's current strategy for coping with the rapid proliferation of AI, as well as its views on the potential impact this technology may have on the entire gaming industry. The prevailing consensus within the industry is as volatile as the weather: on one hand, the widespread adoption of AI as a tool to significantly boost production efficiency seems almost inevitable; on the other hand, the increasing volume of AI-generated game content, such as artwork and voice acting, not to mention the surge in casual coding assisted by AI that has Microsoft boasting, has led many in the industry to question whether boundaries should be drawn. However, from the perspective of Hideaki Hayakawa and Konami, there may be no need to draw such lines at all.
According to Automaton's translation, Hideaki Hayakawa stated in Konami's financial report that AI is unlikely to bring "significant changes" to the game market. He also expressed a negative view when asked about the possibility of AI lowering the barrier to entry for game developers.
"Advancements in general-purpose game engine technology and the proliferation of user-generated content (UGC) have long lowered the barrier to entry," he added. "Even if the application of AI does indeed improve production efficiency, I firmly believe that the most crucial core element in creating interesting and innovative video games will always be people—the creators."