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Level-5 CEO Apologises After Admitting AI Was Used in Studio Showcase
AI ControversyLevel-5Professor LaytonYo-Kai Watch

Level-5 CEO Apologises After Admitting AI Was Used in Studio Showcase

Sep 14, 20262 sources0 comments

Level-5 president and CEO Akihiro Hino has publicly admitted that generative AI was used in the studio's recent digital showcase, which featured reveals for titles including Professor Layton and Yo-Kai Watch. Hino confirmed the technology was employed to make the presentation "more spectacular," suggesting the AI-generated elements were intended as a production enhancement rather than a core part of game development itself. The admission has drawn significant attention from fans and the wider gaming community, given the ongoing and often heated debate around the use of generative AI in creative industries.

Following the backlash, Hino issued an apology over the studio's use of the technology. Level-5 joins a growing list of games companies to face scrutiny for incorporating generative AI into their promotional or development pipelines, and the incident raises fresh questions about transparency and disclosure when AI tools are used in materials shown directly to the public.

Key Insights

  • 1Level-5 CEO Akihiro Hino confirmed generative AI was used in the studio's recent digital showcase to make it 'more spectacular.'
  • 2The AI use appears to have been production-focused, applied to the presentation itself rather than directly to game development.
  • 3Hino issued a public apology following the revelation, signalling he recognised the community's concerns.
  • 4The controversy touched on reveals for major Level-5 franchises, including Professor Layton and Yo-Kai Watch.
  • 5The incident highlights growing expectations from gaming audiences that studios be transparent about when and how generative AI is used.

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