{"id":68659,"date":"2026-06-24T22:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/?p=68659"},"modified":"2026-06-24T17:32:30","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T08:32:30","slug":"megami-tensei-artist-kazuma-kaneko-thinks-ai-replacing-parts-of-game-dev-is-inevitable-but-games-still-need-the-impure-desires-of-human-creator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/megami-tensei-artist-kazuma-kaneko-thinks-ai-replacing-parts-of-game-dev-is-inevitable-but-games-still-need-the-impure-desires-of-human-creator\/","title":{"rendered":"Megami Tensei artist Kazuma Kaneko\u00a0thinks\u00a0AI replacing parts of game dev is \u201cinevitable,\u201d but\u00a0games still need\u00a0the \u201cimpure desires\u201d of human creators\u00a0to be great\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Former Atlus developer Kazuma Kaneko<\/strong> \u2013 <\/strong>best known for his work as an art director and character designer on the Megami Tensei series \u2013 recently talked to Nikkei Gaming<\/a> about his views on AI and how he thinks it will affect jobs in game development. This comes following the April release of Kazuma Kaneko\u2019s Tsukuyomi<\/a>, a deckbuilder RPG Kaneko developed under COLOPL. The game features 3,600 AI generated cards created by a model supposedly trained on Kaneko\u2019s art<\/a>, which caused divisive reactions and boycotts among his fans, particularly outside of Japan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking back, Kaneko tells Nikkei that embracing AI felt like \u201cpulling the chestnuts out of the fire,\u201d suggesting he anticipated the backlash. Still, he says the biggest reason he decided to do so was \u201csimply because it seemed interesting.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Kaneko seems to view generative AI and the resistance people feel towards it as comparable to past technological advancements. “That’s how it was when CG was introduced into animation production. Technological breakthroughs happen from time to time, and that’s only natural. The question for creators is whether they can adapt to them, and the only way to find out is to try,” he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to AI replacing human jobs, Kaneko considers it to be an \u201cinevitable\u201d outcome, at least in some areas. “When sewing machines appeared, many seamstresses probably lost their jobs. But that doesn’t mean those skills vanished, they survived at a higher level in haute couture and other fields. Similarly, I think the work of game creators will also be divided into aspects that are replaced and those that remain.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For game creators to \u201csurvive\u201d the proliferation of AI, Kaneko thinks the most important factor is whether they are able to \u201ccontrol human emotions,\u201d an ability necessary for creating entertainment that audiences will actually experience as compelling. AI is inherently not capable of this (Kaneko calls it a lack of \u201cimpure motives\/selfish desires\u201d natural to humans), and therefore cannot manipulate the audience\u2019s emotions through surprise, changes, edginess or \u201cpoison\u201d to entertain them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While\u00a0there\u2019s\u00a0no news yet on Kaneko\u2019s future projects,\u00a0it seems he\u00a0remains\u00a0quite positive about\u00a0AI being a part of game development. On a related note, a Steam<\/a> version of Kaneko Kazuma’s Tsukuyomi was just announced for July 24.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an\u00a0update\u00a0from February this year<\/a>, Kaneko’s employer COLOPL announced it had 11 PC\/console games and 5 mobile games\u00a0in its\u00a0upcoming\u00a0lineup,\u00a0one of which is \u201cAI-powered.\u201d\u00a0Given that Kaneko originally left\u00a0Atlus\u00a0and joined COLOPL\u00a0wishing to pursue his own\u00a0fields of\u00a0interest<\/a>\u00a0(like mobile gaming)\u00a0and get his own projects off the ground, it\u00a0wouldn\u2019t\u00a0be surprising if he\u00a0were helming one of these\u00a0unannounced\u00a0titles,\u00a0though\u00a0this remains to be seen.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related: <\/strong>Persona and Shin Megami Tensei artist Kazuma Kaneko talks about similarities to Jojo\u2019s Bizarre Adventure creator Hirohiko Araki<\/strong><\/a><\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

AI in Kazuma Kaneko\u2019s new game seemingly outputs images similar to Disney characters and other copyrighted material, raising concerns<\/strong><\/a><\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kazuma Kaneko shares views on AI following launch of gen-AI powered title “Kazuma Kaneko’s Tsukuyomi” on Switch.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":55,"featured_media":68730,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_gspb_post_css":"","autoblue_enabled":true,"autoblue_custom_message":"","autoblue_shares":[{"did":"did:plc:uzrrhkfyjrfdsynj2voztcf2","date":"2026-06-24T13:00:09+00:00","uri":"at:\/\/did:plc:uzrrhkfyjrfdsynj2voztcf2\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3mozxucib3a2h","response":"{\"uri\":\"at:\/\/did:plc:uzrrhkfyjrfdsynj2voztcf2\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3mozxucib3a2h\",\"cid\":\"bafyreif3y5xbtdvaxmffrcnadxirowypidlpd7nwnet5ttuhobpwxhl7jq\",\"commit\":{\"cid\":\"bafyreia5w3bcqblofouv6i64752hwzpnxybyx5copk3ynddli6rnbzwdnm\",\"rev\":\"3mozxucjl2y2h\"},\"validationStatus\":\"valid\"}"}],"autoblue_post_url":"","autoblue_publish_document":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[64,3],"tags":[67,17],"class_list":["post-68659","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-game-development","category-news","tag-ai","tag-japan-related-news"],"blocksy_meta":[],"yoast_head":"\nMegami Tensei artist Kazuma Kaneko\u00a0thinks\u00a0AI replacing parts of game dev is \u201cinevitable,\u201d but\u00a0games still need\u00a0the \u201cimpure desires\u201d of human creators\u00a0to be great\u00a0 - 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