Hideo Kojima Shifts Away From AI Interest
▼ Summary
– A generative AI version of Hideo Kojima appeared in a promotional video for a Prada art installation, which upset many fans.
– Kojima told the Washington Post he does not believe AI can create art in his lifetime, stating, “Art is life.”
– He spoke at the Satellites II event, which focuses on analog technology and his friendship with filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn.
– A 2018 email from Gabe Newell reveals Kojima discussed his interest in AI and space travel, leading to an introduction to Elon Musk.
– Kojima views AI as a tool for efficiency, not creativity, calling it a “janitor for creative chores” while humans remain essential for making art.
Last month, a generative AI version of Death Stranding 2 director Hideo Kojima appeared in a short promotional film tied to a Prada art installation. The piece, which also featured filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn (who plays Heartman in Kojima’s latest game), left many fans unimpressed. Now, Kojima has shared his broader perspective on the controversial technology.
“Art is life,” he told the Washington Post in a profile of the exhibition. “But in 50 years, 100 years, I don’t know. Maybe AI could create art, but while I live, I don’t think I’ll see it. I’m not interested in it.” He added, “We’ll find a good way, a good path to how we use technology, and it’s really up to young people on how we use it.”
Kojima’s comments came during coverage of Satellites II, a follow-up to a similar event held in Tokyo. The installation serves as a meditation on analog technology, music, and the friendship between Kojima and Refn, a bond that transcends language and time zones.
Despite his active social media presence and expanding creative ventures, Kojima’s stance on the hottest tech of the moment has remained unclear. Some developers embrace generative AI, others boycott it, but where the Metal Gear Solid creator stands has been tough to pin down.
“Hideo Kojima was here at Valve talking about his new game, and he mentioned the importance he places on future work in AI…” Gabe Newell wrote in a recently unearthed 2018 email to Elon Musk. “He was talking about how much he wants to go into space, and I offered to introduce him to you.”
Last fall, in an interview with Wired Japan, Kojima described “a future where [he stays] one step ahead; creating together with AI,” and referred to the technology as a “friend.” He suggested genAI wouldn’t replace creativity but could be used to “boost efficiency.”
He reiterated that framing to the Washington Post, which noted that “Kojima says AI works best as a janitor for creative chores, and that humans need to stay in the room where art gets made.” It remains to be seen what that philosophy will mean for his next project, the stealth action-adventure game Physint.
(Source: Kotaku)