Akihiro Hino asserts that in an era of ubiquitous artificial intelligence, a refined “aesthetic sensibility” will become the most vital skill for aspiring professionals.
Akihiro Hino, the visionary leader of Level-5—the studio renowned for the Ni no Kuni and Professor Layton franchises—recently shared his insights regarding the impact of generative AI on video game development. According to Hino, roughly 80% to 90% of the code in modern projects is currently drafted by AI tools, with human developers stepping in to meticulously refine and finalize the work.
As reported by the Japanese publication Famitsu, Hino delivered a keynote during the induction ceremony for the Top Game Creators Academy (TGCA). This program, organized by the Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association (CESA) in collaboration with government agencies, focuses on cultivating the next wave of industry talent. Serving as the director of TGCA, Hino stressed that as AI integration becomes standard, a developer’s “aesthetic sense” will be their defining competitive advantage.
Hino pointed out that the ability to distinguish excellence from mediocrity and select only the highest-quality components for a project is paramount, regardless of whether the content was produced by an algorithm or a human hand. To reach the pinnacle of the industry, novice developers must not only become proficient with AI instruments but also utilize their artistic judgment to elevate the final product.
Level-5 maintains a transparent approach to its own use of technology, employing Stable Diffusion, ChatGPT, and VOICEVOX for asset generation, dialogue writing, and character voicing. Nevertheless, Hino clarified that all AI-assisted elements are subject to mandatory manual adjustments and improvements by human staff before being integrated into any game.
Source: iXBT.games