Nintendo CEO Addresses AI Integration While Addressing Job Security Worries: “The Human Element Will Always Be Essential”

Artificial intelligence remains one of the biggest talking points in video games and many other industries, and now Nintendo of America’s president has weighed in to share his thoughts.

Doug Bowser told CNBC that he sees opportunities for AI technologies to enhance productivity in some areas, but when it comes to actual game development, humans will always lead the way.

“If developers choose to use AI–and it is a discussion right now at Nintendo–it’s not the only method of developing games,” he said. “We still believe that what makes our games special is our developers. Their artistic capabilities. Their insight into how people play. So there is always, always going to be a human touch and a human engagement in how we develop and build our games.”

He added that AI is no different than any other new technology that’s come onto the market, saying Nintendo might choose to leverage it if it helps to create “a better gameplay experience.”

It appears Nintendo’s executives are aligned in their messaging on this subject, as Bowser is basically echoing what Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said back in 2023. At the time, the executive said Nintendo would consider leveraging AI like it would any new technology, but games will not be made by “technology alone.” Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto, meanwhile, has said Nintendo won’t necessarily rush to utilize AI just because other companies may be doing so.

Looking outside Nintendo, Electronic Arts boss Andrew Wilson believes AI could be used to develop games more quickly. Microsoft, meanwhile, is heavily invested in AI and has said AI will be featured in every product it makes going forward, including Xbox, and Ubisoft plans to create AI NPCs that players can have conversations with.

AI technology has been used in game development for decades–but what’s new and different in recent years is what’s referred to as generative artificial intelligence. Many remain concerned that growth of the generative AI market could lead to job losses, and companies like EA and others have admitted this is a legitimate concern.

The video game industry has faced brutal layoffs in 2023 and 2024, though what role advances to artificial intelligence technologies has had on these cuts is unknown.

In other Nintendo news, the Switch 2 launches in June. The price point was announced at $450, but some believe Nintendo will end up raising prices due to newly announced tariffs.