Over 85 Percent Of Japanese Game Developers Are Using AI

Key Points:

• Japan’s Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association (CESA) reports that 85.8% of Japanese game developers are currently using generative AI, a significant increase from 51% last year, based on a survey of 1,349 developers at the CEDEC conference.
• AI usage includes generating game assets and utilizing tools like ChatGPT and Copilot for administrative tasks, with 63% of users employing AI daily and 22.8% using it occasionally.
• Developers generally see benefits from AI, such as reduced production time and costs, expanded creativity, and lowered technical barriers, though only a small number (147) believe it improves the end-user experience.
• The survey reflects individual developer responses, which may include multiple employees from the same company; a separate CESA company-level survey found 74% of member companies have policies on generative AI, with fewer companies using AI for visual assets or creative functions.
• Recent controversies have arisen over AI-generated content, notably after Level-5’s presentation sparked fan concerns about the authenticity of game visuals.