Miyamoto Sees AI as a Chance to Redefine Creativity
WHO:
Kotaku - Shigeru Miyamoto, Nintendo’s longtime developer, was recognized for his contributions to gaming and described himself as a representative of the people he had worked with.
Kotaku - Miyamoto said video games are created by groups of people, not developed alone, and shared the honor with people from different fields, including colleagues on Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan.
Video Games Chronicle - Miyamoto is Nintendo’s creative fellow and the designer behind Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda.
Video Games Chronicle - Nintendo has not publicly confirmed whether it uses AI to develop its games. Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa has acknowledged generative AI’s creative potential while warning about intellectual-property risks; former Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser said its potential use was being discussed internally. Both emphasized human creativity.
WHAT:
Kotaku - Miyamoto said his design philosophy helped shape the Wii, and that he worried during the transition from GameCube to Wii that increasingly complex controllers could put off people new to gaming.
Kotaku - Miyamoto said he had once opposed adapting his game characters into films because their interactivity could not be replicated in movies, but changed his view as fans’ affection for Nintendo characters made them adaptable to films and theme parks.
Polygon.com - Miyamoto discussed how the Japanese countryside influenced his artistry and how Nintendo maintains originality with a workforce of 10,000 people.
Kotaku - At a press conference, Miyamoto discussed the evolution of the games industry and AI. He said he did not know whether AI might eventually handle all tasks, including creation, but believed “there’s still a lot left for us to do.”
Video Games Chronicle - Miyamoto argued that generative AI would not make human creativity obsolete: as AI takes over more tasks, creators’ individual visions become more important.
Kotaku - Miyamoto said Nintendo distinguishes “creating” from “working”: creators first establish a broad structure, then fill gaps and refine details. He called the work itself enjoyable, but warned that satisfaction with the labor can be mistaken for having made something good.
Video Games Chronicle - Miyamoto said AI’s replacement of tasks offers an opportunity to reflect on what matters in creativity, which he called positive. He said copied-and-pasted designs rarely endure because they lack an individual’s design intention; computers assist with labor while people provide intent.
WHERE:
Kotaku - Miyamoto’s comments were made at a public press conference in Japan; he also discussed work on Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan.
WHEN:
Kotaku - Miyamoto said he had joined Nintendo in 1977 and that nearly 50 years had passed since then.
WHY:
Kotaku - Miyamoto said he wanted games to blend naturally into everyday life and have a positive effect on everyone, rather than divide people into those who played video games and those who did not.
Kotaku - Miyamoto said that as tools take over technical tasks, people’s individual design abilities and intentions come to the forefront.
Video Games Chronicle - Miyamoto said AI could prompt creators to reconsider what creativity involves rather than simply treating the technology as a threat.
HOW:
Kotaku - Miyamoto compared generative AI’s effects to computers and word processors, which enabled copying text, sourcing images, and automatically rendering text, shifting attention toward personal design abilities such as layout.
Video Games Chronicle - Miyamoto described creation as setting a broad structure followed by hands-on labor, including filling gaps and refining details.
(UPDATED October 24, 2026 16:03 UTC)
Shigeru Miyamoto, the Nintendo creative fellow behind Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda, says artificial intelligence won’t make human creativity obsolete. Speaking at a public press conference in Japan, he argued that as technology takes over more technical tasks, creators’ individual visions and design intentions become more important. Miyamoto compared the shift to computers and word processors, which changed how people handle tasks such as copying text and arranging images. He described creation as setting a broad structure, then filling gaps and refining details, while cautioning that enjoying the work doesn’t necessarily mean the result is good. Miyamoto also shared an honor with colleagues, stressing that games are made by teams, not individuals. He said he once worried complex controllers would discourage newcomers, and wanted games to fit naturally into everyday life.
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(UPDATED October 24, 2026 04:09 UTC)
Shigeru Miyamoto says artificial intelligence is unlikely to make human creativity obsolete, even as it takes on more tasks. Speaking at a press conference in Japan, Nintendo’s creative fellow said creators’ individual visions will become more important as technology handles technical work. Miyamoto, the designer behind Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda, said he does not know whether AI might eventually do everything, but there is still plenty for people to do. He compared the shift to computers and word processors, which moved attention toward personal choices such as layout. He described creation as first setting a broad structure, then filling gaps and refining details, while cautioning that enjoying the work does not necessarily mean the result is good. Miyamoto shared the recognition he received with collaborators, including colleagues who worked on Super Nintendo World in Japan, saying games are made by groups, not individuals.