Capcom Says It Won't Use AI Directly in Games, But Will Embrace the Tech in Development

In the last year or so, multiple reports of AI use in games have circulated online, especially as game development costs and timelines have continued to rise. Capcom, one of the biggest game publishers, has once again clarified how it plans to approach generative AI, following fresh comments from its latest investor briefing (via My Nintendo News).

Capcom draws a line on AI use in game content

Today, a Japanese gaming news outlet, Game Spark, spotted a Q&A summary (in Japanese) released today, in which Capcom made it clear (via machine translation) that it will not use generative AI-created materials directly in its game content. The comments come at a time when AI adoption in creative industries has become a sensitive topic.

Artists and developers are concerned about originality and quality due to AI use. Whereas players have reportedly complained about the use of such technology in games. Crimson Desert is one of the latest examples. Players reportedly spotted AI-generated assets in the game, which led to backlash on social media. Now, the developer of the game has apologized to players in a post on X and confirmed that it is “currently conducting a comprehensive audit of all in-game assets and is taking steps to replace any affected content. Updated assets will be rolled out in upcoming patches.”

Speaking of Capcom, it isn’t avoiding AI entirely. Capcom noted that it plans to actively use generative AI as a tool to improve efficiency and productivity during the development process. This includes areas like graphics, sound, and programming, where internal workflows could benefit from automation and faster iteration.

Last year, around the same time, Capcom had already hinted at using AI for “idea generation,” as mentioned in a post on the Google Cloud Japan blog. Kazuki Abe, a Technical Director at Capcom, had highlighted how advanced technologies could streamline development and reduce workload pressures, which have now become a growing concern across the industry.

At a time when game production is becoming more resource-intensive, Capcom is looking to strike a balance. The company is exploring AI behind the scenes to speed things up, while keeping final creative output in human hands.

Article feature image source: Capcom