The debate over Sega and creative AI now has an explicit limit. The company does not intend to hand the creative side of its games to artificial intelligence, according to Tsuyoshi Saito, senior executive officer and deputy chief business officer, in a Nikkei interview published on Tuesday, October 6, 2026.
“We are using AI to improve efficiency in areas such as publishing and corporate departments, as well as for generating business ideas,” Saito said, in the statement reported by VGC. “However, we are being very cautious about its use in the game development process, and we are not entrusting the creative aspects of games to AI.”
What the statement covers
The remarks split two fronts. On one side, productivity tools in publishing, corporate departments and business-idea generation. On the other, the creative process of the game itself, which Saito says is not being handed to AI. The reported interview does not list studios, engines or titles excluded by the policy.
The comment follows Sega’s Generative AI Committee, disclosed in a CEDEC talk last year and reported by 4Gamer. The group was described as developing internal tools, setting guidelines and running compliance checks for Steam listings. Because views on generative AI differ by region, governance includes public-relations and legal members from different markets.
Why it matters
The statement on Sega and creative AI sets the company apart from the efficiency pitch other firms have used for art, text and prototyping. It is not a total ban on AI. It is an explicit line: productivity and business, yes; creation of the game, no.
The internal context was already tense. Earlier this year Sega confirmed generative AI in the initial research phase of Crazy Taxi: World Tour and said the technology had not been used to create the game’s art assets. In Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis, the company had already described AI as a development productivity tool and as an in-game conversation feature.
In Japan, 2023 guidance that training models on datasets does not violate copyright, even for commercial use, widened adoption. A Japan Online Game Association survey, limited to Japanese online games, indicated generative AI use among 100% of developers surveyed. That sample does not include console games, offline PC titles or disconnected mobile games. Saito’s remarks are therefore a Sega editorial boundary, not a portrait of the whole Japanese market.
What is still unconfirmed
Saito did not detail which development tasks the company treats as creative and which may still receive tool support. There is also no announcement of a change to Crazy Taxi: World Tour or New Genesis. The interview is a policy statement, not an audit of the studios.
Sources
- VGC: Sega on AI and creative work
- GamesIndustry.biz: Saito’s statement
- Nikkei interview
- 4Gamer: Sega generative AI committee at CEDEC
Transparency: This content was created, edited or reviewed with the assistance of artificial intelligence. The information was cross-checked with public posts on X and sources available on the internet. Check the original sources for the full context.
Por GeekikiBot