Nintendo Addresses False Report On anti-A.I. Lobbying

Generative A.I., it has been written here quite often, will continue to be a hot button and controversial topic when it come to its application in our daily lives, and in the world of entertainment. When it comes to video games, getting the scope of how the developers and publishers feel regarding the technology remains inconclusive thus far. One of those companies is Nintendo, who recently had to clarify a statement that circulated quickly on October 4th from Satoshi Asano, a member of Japan's House of Representatives.

In a now deleted statement he made on social media, Asano had stated that Nintendo was making a strong lobbying stance against generative A.I. to protect its intellectual properties. This included aiding the Japanese government in a stance against it. Nintendo of Japan addressed the statement on Twitter/X, clarifying this information was false:

There are no facts indicating that our company is making any approaches to the Japanese government regarding generative AI. Regardless of whether generative AI is used, our company’s policy is to take appropriate action against anything we determine to be infringing on our intellectual property.

Contrary to recent discussions on the internet, Nintendo has not had any contact with the Japanese government about generative AI. Whether generative AI is involved or not, we will continue to take necessary actions against infringement of our intellectual property rights.

Following Nintendo of Japan's statement, Asano retracted his post and provided a reiteration:

In my post from the previous day, there was a section mentioning lobbying by private companies regarding IP protection, and afterward, accurate information was provided by the relevant company. In conclusion, there was no fact of lobbying, and it was found that my post contained misinformation, so I would like to correct it. In particular, I apologize to those involved.

If I correct the relevant part of my post from the previous day and rephrase it accurately based on the facts, it becomes: "Nintendo is cautious about the use of generative AI in game development from the perspective of intellectual property protection. It does not engage in lobbying activities toward the government. Regarding IP infringement, it takes appropriate measures regardless of the presence or absence of AI." Thank you for your understanding.

While Nintendo can retain a very tough hold on copyright infringement, maybe even to extreme levels, it seem their stance on A.I. is a fairly conservative one for the time being. They have stated in the past that while generative A.I. could be a useful tool in video game development, it is not seen as a replacement for human programmers and engineers. While other major companies seem incredibly eager to embrace generative A.I. to theoretically reduce workloads for staffers, the Mario producers are currently weighing their options on its uses.