Level-5 CEO Akihiro Hino Apologises for Generative AI Use in Vision 2026 II Showcase, Says Studio Will Keep Experimenting

Level-5 president and CEO Akihiro Hino has issued a public apology for the studio's heavy use of generative AI during its LEVEL5 VISION 2026 II: Dreams broadcast on September 10, the Japanese developer confirmed on social media on September 12, 2026. The roughly 50-minute presentation, which premiered first looks at the Professor Layton and the Curious Village remake, Yo-kai Watch 2: Haunted Domain, DECAPOLICE and a new trailer for Professor Layton and the New World of Steam, drew immediate criticism from viewers who spotted what they described as AI-generated background art in several segments.

"We cannot deny that we made extensive use of AI this time, driven by a desire to deliver a presentation that was visually striking and easy to grasp," Hino wrote in a statement posted to his X account, according to translations circulated by IGN, Nintendo Life and Eurogamer. The CEO framed the experiment as part of Level-5's broader push to compress development timelines, saying the studio is targeting a reduction of the production cycle for major titles from roughly five years down to two, with AI handling "the digitisation of creative work made by people."

Hino stopped short of pledging to drop AI from future broadcasts or games. He argued that AI is "a tool" — likening it to a knife that can be used to cook or to harm — and stressed that "all elements defining the appeal and individuality of our released titles — such as the scenario, character designs, and foundational settings — are created entirely by human hands." The mix of apology and reassurance has not gone down well in the Level-5 community, where several long-time fans have voiced frustration that the studio used the same AI toolchain in a Nintendo Direct-style showcase that it plans to lean on for shipping titles.

The controversy lands against a wider industry backdrop in which generative AI adoption has become a flashpoint. Level-5 itself acknowledged using ChatGPT in character design elements for Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road back in 2023, and Hino has repeatedly insisted that an "80–90% AI-coded" claim circulating online is a major misunderstanding of an internal experiment on a single unreleased title.

Independent outlets are now reading the September 12 message as a strategic holding pattern rather than a course correction. Nintendo Life framed Hino's "We will take this as a lesson" line as Level-5 doubling down on generative AI despite the backlash, and Eurogamer noted that the statement offers no specific plan for how future presentations or shipped games will treat AI-generated content. The Professor Layton and the Curious Village remake is currently scheduled for 2027 across Nintendo Switch 2, PS5 and Steam, while Professor Layton and the New World of Steam is due out this December.