Hideo Kojima has shared his current take on the use of AI in video games, and while it’s not completely in line with the general consensus, it certainly is on brand for the developer. Best known as the creator of the Metal Gear series and the founder of Kojima Productions, the auteur has become known for challenging conventions and pushing interactive storytelling into unfamiliar territory during his decades-long careeer. So, as AI becomes a recurring presence in the video game space, his opinions on the matter may nudge the perspective of others.
Kojima’s influence has only grown in recent years with the release in of Death Stranding in 2019 and its subsequent sequel. The first game launched as a divisive but ambitious experiment that blended what many deemed a walking simulator with asynchronous multiplayer elements that emphasized connection over competition. Few thought a game that was essentially about a delivery man could garner much interest, but Death Stranding got predominantly positive reviews, won multiple awards, and spawned Death Stranding 2: On the Beach in 2025. It served as further evidence that even “strange” and non-conforming ideas might be viable and influential.
“I Probably Wouldn’t Be in This Industry” – Hideo Kojima Suggests No Mario Means No Metal Gear or Death Stranding
Hideo Kojima shares the deep-rooted influence Super Mario Bros has on the creator, suggesting that he might not have gone into the games industry.
Hideo Kojima Wants to Train AI
In a recent interview with Japanese website Nikkei Xtrend (via Notebook Check), Kojima revealed that his take on AI is unconventional as well. “This might be out there, but I think I want to make a game played in weightlessness and a game that delights an AI,” the developer said. He went on to explain that, currently, AI isn’t very knowledgeable and needs to learn more, so he wants to create a game that can train it. Then, in 5 or 10 years, AI will perhaps be ready to “break into many different worlds.”
Though he didn’t expand on the concept of a “game played in weightlessness,” Kojima has previously stated that he was unimpressed by the litany of same-ol’ games being produced by the industry right now. The “visuals and systems are pretty much the same,” he stated, concluding with the comment that “it is important to put something really new in there for the industry.” A video game that trains AI, a technology that is generally viewed negatively by game consumers, would certainly fit the mold of “something really new.”
Basically, a game that could train an AI. At the moment, AI doesn’t know much, and I think it has to study more.
While many people seem to be against the use of generative AI to create video games, Kojima seems to be heading in the opposite direction. He previously shared that he is not opposed to using the technology not to create art, which seems to be the worry for many people, but rather to build dynamic systems. AI could add depth to gameplay by, for example, making computer-controlled enemies behave more realistically and adapt to player actions.
This stance is also somewhat risky to take, given that AI use remains one of the most contentious topics in the video game industry at the moment. Developers and players alike have raised concerns about how AI-generated content could impact labor, originality, and job security. Recently, two beloved studios, Larian and Sandfall Interactive both came under fire after it was revealed that they had used AI in the development process of their highly successful games. In 2023 and 2025, respectively, their two titles swept The Game Awards and took home multiple accolades.
For its part, Sandfall’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was disqualified from the Indie Game Awards for using generative AI art. The role-playing game had been nominated for both the Debut Game and Game of the Year awards. Clair Obscur launched with generative AI art assets still in the game, and though they were later patched out, many people feel they shouldn’t have been used in the first place. But this practice is becoming increasingly common, with Jurassic World Evolution 3, Kaiserpunk, and The Alters, to name a few, admitting to it. So perhaps the Death Stranding dev’s stance — to use AI selectively and, notably, not to create art with it while also training it to perform better — will be another example of Kojima predicting the future.
