Hideo Kojima has shared his current take on the use of AI in video games, and while it's not entirely in line with the general consensus, it's certainly on brand for the developer. Best known as the creator of Metal Gear series and founder of Kojima Productions, the auteur has become known for challenging convention and pushing interactive storytelling into uncharted territory throughout his decades-long career. So, as AI becomes a recurring presence in the video game space, his views on the matter may shift the perspective of others.
Kojima's influence has only increased in recent years with the release of Death Stranding 2019 and its subsequent sequels. The first game launched as a divisive but ambitious experiment that mixed what many considered a walking simulator with asynchronous multiplayer elements that emphasized connection over competition. Few thought that a game that was essentially about a messenger could garner much interest, but Death Stranding received predominantly positive reviews, won several awards and created Death Stranding 2: On the Beach 2025. It served as further proof that even “strange” and non-conforming ideas can be viable and influential.
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Hideo Kojima wants to train AI
In a recent interview with Japanese website Nikkei Xtrend (via Notebook Check ), Kojima revealed that his view of AI is also unconventional. “This may be out there, but I think I want to make a game that is played in weightlessness and a game that pleases an AI,” the developer said. He went on to explain that the AI is currently not very knowledgeable and needs to learn more, so he wants to create a game that can train it. Then, in 5 or 10 years, AI will perhaps be ready to “break into many different worlds.”
While he didn't expand on the concept of a “game played in zero gravity,” Kojima has previously said he was unimpressed by the litany of same-ol games currently being produced by the industry. “The visualization and the systems are pretty much the same,” he said, concluding with the comment that “it's important to put in something really new for the industry.” A video game that trains AI, a technology generally viewed negatively by gaming consumers, would certainly fit the mold of “something really new.”
Basically a game that can train an AI. Currently, the AI can't do much, and I think it needs to study more.
While many people seem to be against the use of generative AI to create video games, Kojima seems to be going in the opposite direction. He previously shared that he is not opposed to using the technology not to create art, which seems to be a concern for many, but rather to build dynamic systems. AI could add depth to the game by, for example, making computer-controlled enemies behave more realistically and adapt to player actions.
This stance is also somewhat risky to take, given that AI use remains one of the most controversial topics in the video game industry at the moment. Developers and gamers alike have expressed concerns about how AI-generated content could affect labor, originality, and job security. Recently, two beloved studios, Larian and Sandfall Interactive, both came under fire after it was revealed that they had used AI in the development process of their highly successful games. In 2023 and 2025 respectively, their two titles swept The Game Awards and took home several awards.
For its part, Sandfalls Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was disqualified from the Indie Game Awards for using generative AI art. The RPG had been nominated for both debut game and game of the year. Clair Obscur launched with generative AI art assets that are still in the game, and while they were later patched, many feel they shouldn't have been used in the first place. But this practice is becoming more common, with Jurassic World Evolution 3, Kaiserpunkand The Altersto name a few, admit it. So maybe Death Stranding The dev's stance – using the AI selectively and, above all, not creating art with it while training it to perform better – will be another example of Kojima predicting the future.
