Legendary Nintendo developer Shigeru Miyamoto - who led development on classic games such as Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - has argued that the rise of generative AI tools won't necessarily replace human talent.

Next month, Shigeru Miyamoto will become the first ever video game developer to be awarded the Order of Culture by the Emperor of Japan, a hugely prestigious honour. But in a recent press conference dedicated to the award, he also shared some thoughts about gen-AI and its use in game production.

"Our generation lived through a period of rapid computer development - a time when tools were constantly evolving, moving from typewriters to word processors,” he said while speaking to the press, in quotes translated by VGC. Miyamoto argued that a designer's true capabilities "finally came to the fore" as technology advanced and was capable of handling more of what might be considered "labor", and a similar transition may take place with generative AI tech.

"While the act of creation is inherently satisfying, there's a danger: one might find satisfaction in the labor itself and mistakenly believe that a high-quality piece of work has been created," he added. If generative-AI software replaces more tasks involved in game production, human game devs might have "an opportunity to reflect on what's really important."

"Looking back at past designs, there are some that were created merely by copying and pasting. Yet, such work rarely stands the test of time; it lacks the individual’s particular design intention," Miyamoto continued.

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