Steam players embrace the AI game Hayao Miyazaki once branded ‘an insult to life’

For enthusiasts of Japanese animation, the 2016 footage of celebrated auteur Hayao Miyazaki reacting with visceral disgust to a tech presentation has become legendary. The visionary director behind hand-drawn masterpieces like My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away was shown a demo of artificial intelligence designed to simulate realistic movement. Predictably, the man who has spent his life perfecting every frame by hand was far from impressed by the algorithmic display.

However, rather than abandoning their efforts in the face of Miyazaki’s scathing critique—or the subsequent decade of internet memes—the developers behind the technology persisted. Ten years later, the same foundational tech has been evolved into ANLIFE: Motion-Learning Life Evolution, a sandbox title from Attructure Inc. that launched on Steam on February 11. Straying far from the unsettling imagery Miyazaki first encountered, ANLIFE is a vibrant evolution simulator. Players nurture abstract organisms that learn to navigate their environment, drawing comparisons to a peaceful version of Spore where the focus is on the unique, emergent gaits of the creatures.

Context is vital for those who haven’t seen the specific moment from the documentary series 10 Years with Hayao Miyazaki. The director was viewing footage of a limb-less zombie model programmed to use its head for propulsion. Studio Ghibli producer Nobuo Kawakami explained that the AI creature felt no pain, allowing it to move with a disregard for biological limits. While intended as a demonstration for a horror game, the display struck a nerve with Miyazaki. He associated the mechanical, unfeeling movements with the physical struggles of a close friend, leading to a profound sense of offense.

“Whoever creates this stuff has no idea what pain is whatsoever,” Miyazaki remarked. “I am utterly disgusted… I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself.”

Since then, debates have frequently erupted over the true target of Miyazaki’s ire. Some argue he was criticizing the specific, grotesque application of the tech rather than the concept of AI itself. Yet, as generative AI has evolved to mimic Studio Ghibli’s signature aesthetic and tools like OpenAI’s Sora push new boundaries, his horror remains a cornerstone of the conversation. The clip resurfaces annually, serving as a rallying cry for the preservation of human-led artistry.

Paradoxically, Miyazaki’s harsh judgment is the primary reason ANLIFE is currently trending. The majority of its Steam reviews reference the 2016 encounter, yet the game is thriving. Currently holding a “Positive” rating, ANLIFE has managed to avoid a “review bomb” from Ghibli loyalists, instead finding an audience that appreciates its tranquil, experimental nature.

One reviewer characterized the experience as “evolution as a sandbox experiment,” noting the charm in watching “digital life stumble toward survival.” While critics admit the gameplay is somewhat rudimentary and the experience brief, the consensus is that watching these machine-learned beings figure out how to exist through trial and error is surprisingly meditative.

The developers at Attructure Inc. seem to have taken the 2016 feedback to heart. While the official website refers to the incident as the spark for “a topic of discussion,” the game’s toy-like aesthetic and bright palette feel like a deliberate pivot away from the “creepy” tech of the past. ANLIFE doesn’t attempt to replace human animators; instead, it uses AI to explore the persistence of life in a digital petri dish.

The world may never forget the “zombie incident,” but the team at Attructure maintains that their goal was always more philosophical. “In truth, I wanted to create life being lived within a simulation,” creator Masayoshi Nakamura explained in 2018.

ANLIFE is currently available on Steam for $11.99, and the developers are inviting players to submit their most unique organisms for an upcoming digital zoo project.

Source: Polygon