Square Enix continues its unconventional path, determined to explore AI for game development in 2024.

The Japanese have always carved their own path, undeterred by others' reactions. It's a tradition from whale hunting to Hayao Miyazaki sending a sword with the message 'no cutting.' This narrative extends to AI with Square Enix's recent counter-narrative by President Takashi Kiryu.

In the annual New Year's message sent to all employees, the new president hailed AI's utility and expressed determination to apply it to their products in the future.

“Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its implications have been subjects of academic debate for a long time. However, the advent of AI aiding in easier writing and translation has ignited the propagation of generative AI,” wrote CEO Takashi Kiryu in his New Year's message. “I believe generative AI not only promises to reshape our creations but also fundamentally alters the product creation process, even in programming.

In the following section, he emphasizes the adoption of new technologies including AI in the future: “We will also actively apply AI and other modern technologies to both content development and publishing processes.”

While Square Enix actively supports AI application, in 2023, many places in the Western market witnessed activities opposing the use of this technology in game development processes. Measures to replace human personnel with AI faced opposition from game industry groups or unions. From facial and actor image data collection for AI perpetual use to replacing voice actors with automated AI reading systems.

However, it's undeniable that there are some aspects where AI can make games more magical. For instance, Sony's recently patented flexible difficulty adjustment system or ideas about using AI to portray NPC dialogues vividly instead of using pre-written lines.