Hideo Kojima Shares His Unique Outlook on AI

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Hideo Kojima, the creator of the Metal Gear series and head of Kojima Productions, recently shared his thoughts on artificial intelligence in video games. Known for his innovative and unconventional approach to storytelling, Kojima’s perspective differs from what many believe, but it’s consistent with his history of pushing boundaries. As AI becomes more common in games, his views could influence how others see its potential.

Hideo Kojima’s impact on gaming has continued to grow, especially after the release of Death Stranding in 2019 and its sequel. The first game was a bold experiment, combining slow-paced exploration with unique online features that focused on cooperation rather than competition. Many doubted a game centered around a delivery person would be successful, but Death Stranding received largely positive feedback, won numerous awards, and led to the creation of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach in 2025. This demonstrated that even unusual and unconventional concepts can be both popular and influential.

Hideo Kojima Wants to Train AI

Image via Kojima Productions

I was reading an interview with Hideo Kojima, and he shared some really fascinating ideas about AI and gaming. Apparently, he’s not thinking about AI in the typical ‘realistic enemy’ way. He actually wants to delight an AI with a game! He believes current AI is still pretty basic and needs a lot of learning, so he envisions creating a game specifically to train it. His idea is that if we can properly ‘teach’ an AI through gaming now, in maybe 5 to 10 years, it’ll be capable of incredible things and really start to push boundaries in all sorts of areas. He even mentioned wanting to make a game set entirely in zero gravity – pretty ambitious stuff!

Kojima mentioned a “game played in weightlessness” but didn’t offer details. He’s previously expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of the gaming industry, noting that many games feel too similar in terms of graphics and gameplay. He believes the industry needs genuinely innovative ideas. A game focused on training AI – a concept often met with skepticism by gamers – would certainly be a fresh approach.

The idea is to create a game that helps an AI learn. Currently, AI lacks sufficient knowledge and needs more training.

Many are hesitant about using AI to make video games, but Hideo Kojima appears to be embracing it. He’s stated he doesn’t see AI as a threat to artistic creation – a common concern – but as a tool for building more complex and reactive game systems. For example, AI could make enemies act more realistically and respond intelligently to what players do, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.

Taking this position is a bit of a gamble, as the use of AI is currently a very sensitive issue in the video game world. Both developers and players are worried about how AI-created content might affect jobs, the creativity of games, and the people who work on them. Recently, Larian and Sandfall Interactive, two well-known game studios, faced criticism after it became known they used AI during the development of their popular games, which both won major awards at The Game Awards in 2023 and 2025.

Sandfall’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was removed from consideration for the Indie Game Awards because it used art created by AI. The game was nominated for both Debut Game and Game of the Year. While the AI-generated art was removed in a later update, many believe it shouldn’t have been included initially. This practice is becoming more frequent, with games like Jurassic World Evolution 3, Kaiserpunk, and The Alters also admitting to using AI. This makes the approach of the developers of Death Stranding – using AI carefully, and specifically avoiding its use for creating art while still training it to improve performance – potentially ahead of the curve, similar to how Hideo Kojima often anticipates future trends.

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2025-12-24 17:05