Hideo Kojima, the much-lauded creator of the Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding series, recently shared a few choice words about the use of AI, specifically upscaling software like DLSS 5. Ever since an unofficial build of DLSS 5 was leaked, a great deal of footage has surfaced of various games using this cutting-edge program, which makes for radically different visuals when cranked to full throttle, as it were. Often, this is to the point where it can basically look like an AI filter laid atop an original game—a far cry from the straightforward resolution sharpening of DLSS 4 and its predecessors.
Unsurprisingly, Kojima’s games have found themselves as subjects of DLSS 5 in online showcases, prompting the director to comment on the tech in an episode of the KOJI10 podcast. In it, Kojima said that AI will probably “be built into everything” someday, but that he isn’t much of a fan of that idea. He said that visual decisions, such as lighting, are linked to a creator’s intention, and he suggested that AI upscaling tech, at least in its current state, can’t understand such intentions. Kojima’s an eccentric guy, but this seems like an area where the Metal Gear Solid mastermind is right on the money, being a voice of reason while others are running buck-wild.
Gamers and Developers Alike Should Heed Kojima’s Words, Especially for Remasters
Kojima’s main point in the KOJI10 episode is that, while AI is an obviously useful tool in many respects, its generative capabilities shouldn’t be mistaken for genuine creative intention. I must admit that, since DLSS 5 has leaked and videos of it have emerged, I’ve been disheartened by how many gamers seem willing to completely disregard a game’s original artistic vision. Videos of DLSS 5 “enhanced” games, especially older ones, are rife with supportive comments, with viewers praising visuals that, while perhaps more realistic, are almost completely removed from the intent of the original creators.
It reminds me a lot of the various Unreal Engine fan remakes of popular games, like Ocarina of Time, that were making the rounds online a few years ago. These projects also yielded positive responses from fans, many of whom eagerly proclaimed that they represented the future of gaming. These projects put full-blown remasters in an odd position, as they argue not only that older art styles should be discarded, but that modern visuals ought to be consolidated into one uniform aesthetic.
Kojima’s main point in the KOJI10 episode is that, while AI is an obviously useful tool in many respects, its generative capabilities shouldn’t be mistaken for genuine creative intention.
With DLSS 5, anyone can theoretically make their own version of one of these Unreal Engine showcases with basically no effort whatsoever. This makes intention-erasing philosophies both more prevalent and more pronounced: the unofficial Unreal Engine remakes were still driven by a human being with an intention, informed by real-world experience, personality, taste, and so forth. With DLSS 5, there is no human element, only a checked box that can mutate a game into something else entirely.
This is to say nothing of the various artifacting and hallucination problems that contemporary upscaling software still struggles with. Even if DLSS 5’s final rendering manages to be technically perfect 100% of the time, it could still be used to essentially overwrite a game’s original vision.
With DLSS 5, we could be facing the slow death of style. As Kojima indicates, something as seemingly minor as how shadows fall on a character’s face can constitute a significant artistic decision—think about how many movies use shadow, lighting, and obfuscation to aid in their storytelling. The notion that such details can simply be replaced with whatever AI generates isn’t just insulting to the creators of these works, but destructive to the very idea of creative expression.
AI Will Have Its Place in All Corners of Game Development
I agree with Kojima’s statements about artistic integrity, but I also agree when he says that AI will eventually be everywhere. To call this growing ubiquity outright terrible is silly. AI can be extremely useful without overtaking creative control. For instance, AI has helped developers with tasks like texture-mapping and debugging, making these processes easier for those with the requisite technical know-how. Fundamentally, these kinds of AI tools are no different than many of the long-standing features baked into leading game engines like Unity and Unreal. Something as basic as moving an asset through a scene with the mouse is technically an automation of script-writing, but this doesn’t seem to bother many developers.
A camera can produce more accurate visual recreations of real life, and far quicker, than any human being—this is undeniable. But no one is rushing to do away with the myriad disciplines of painting, sketching, and so forth because of this. On some level, we all understand that art is not about accuracy or fidelity, but vision and creative intention. Paintings like Edvard Munch’s The Scream or Van Gogh’s The Starry Night look nothing like perceived reality, and yet their cultural impact hasn’t diminished with the proliferation of photography.
The same will happen with game design. Given the recent developments in AI programming and image generation, it’s very likely that there will be an explosion of AI-generated games in the near future. These games will be defined by total or near-total automation of visual design, controls, mechanics, or writing, and will be judged accordingly. Some may even see great financial or critical success. But I have to believe that, much like how artists today seek to emulate Munch and Van Gogh, so too will developers of the future base their work on the harder-won, but ultimately more affecting, non-AI-generated games of the past.
