Image: Level-5
It’s no secret that Level-5 has embraced Generative AI when it comes to game development, and CEO Akihiro Hino has been very open and honest about the fact that the company is using the technology in its games – but few expected the recent Level-5 Vision 2026 II Showcase to feature so much AI-made content.
As a result, Hino posted a statement on social media addressing concerns fans have raised about GenAI.
“This time, because we used AI for the footage within the event, it seems that concerns have arisen regarding the content of the works as well, so I would like to provide an explanation,” he says on Twitter. “It was entirely due to the desire to make the presentation more spectacular that we incorporated processing that also served as an experiment using the latest AI. It appears that some people felt uncomfortable about this, so I deeply apologize.”
He goes on to explain precisely how Level-5 leverages GenAI in its workflow:
“At our company, the parts that relate to the charm and individuality of the released works—such as scenarios, character designs, and basic settings—are all created by human hands. What we’re aiming for in terms of efficiency through AI is mainly the digitization of creative work made by people, for example, accurately converting original artwork into polygons and such. Please rest assured that no simplistic AI-generated output data is included in the games that are released.”
Hino then makes it clear that Level-5 will continue to use GenAI in order to streamline the development of its games:
“Thanks to the time created by AI efficiency, creators are now able to dedicate more time to the essence of creation, and I believe the finished products are turning out to a level that will satisfy everyone even more than before. Ultimately, under the plan to shorten the current 5-year development period for major titles to 2 years, we are in the stage of trial and error, and struggling forward.”
While Hino is clear on the fact that Level-5 will continue to use GenAI, he does admit the “desire to create a clear and flashy presentation” led the company to over-rely on it for the recent presentation. “We will take this as a lesson and carry it forward to the next one, so please look forward to Level Five’s next presentation.”
It’s fair to say that Hino’s statement hasn’t gone down well with everyone. Samuel Deats, director of the Castlevania Netflix series Powerhouse Animation Studios, pointed out that even when using human-made assets, GenAI relies on data it scraped without permission from other artists. “Generative AI is trained on the stolen works of countless artists by tech companies to profit off their work, with the intent of replacing artists,” he says. “By using it you replaced artists. You’re profiting off of the skill of artists whose work has been stolen to power this software.”
Generative AI is trained on the stolen works of countless artists by tech companies to profit off their work, with the intent of replacing artists. By using it you replaced artists. You’re profiting off of the skill of artists whose work has been stolen to power this software.— Samuel Deats 🌕 (@SamuelDeats) September 12, 2026
Even in Japan, where Generative AI isn’t seen in quite as negative a light as it is in other parts of the world, the reaction has been less than positive.
“As a longtime fan, I was really looking forward to the revival of this series,” says Japanese Twitter user CreationsofStar. “However, despite this statement, I can’t help but have serious concerns about the use of AI. It’s not only harmful to the environment but also a disrespectful act toward the team members who have worked so hard.”
“It’s weird that you decided to use AI just to make it flashy,” adds @hiro_pad_gbf. “Since you used AI in the presentation, the possibility that it’s being used in the work can’t be ruled out, you know? ‘We didn’t use it in the work, but we will use it in the presentation’—it’s such a contradiction that it’s hard to trust.”
GenAI continues to be a highly debated topic, despite the fact that its use is becoming more and more common within the game industry. GenAI tools are trained on millions of images and hours of footage, almost always without the permission of the original copyright holder. The creation of such content also has high power demands, which have an environmental impact, and the internet is suffering as AI slop takes over.
Damien has been writing professionally about tech and video games since 2007 and oversees all of Hookshot Media’s sites from an editorial perspective. He’s also the editor of Time Extension, the network’s newest site, which – paradoxically – is all about gaming’s past glories.