Level-5 recognized the use of generative AI in Layton and Yo-kai Watch shows

Level-5 found itself at the center of a nasty controversy following its latest presentation.Players began to dissect footage of Professor Layton and Yo-kai Watch and noticed signs of generative AI.Now the head of the company, Akihiro Hino, has confirmed that the technology was indeed used.

Hino apologized to those who were upset by such a presentation.According to him, the team experimented with AI to make the presentation more spectacular, and ended up going too far.

The company separates presentation AI from core development

Hino states that the scripts, character designs, and basic settings of released projects are created by people.AI, as he describes it, is used as a tool for processing materials already created by artists, for example, when translating drawings into 3D.

At the same time, it was the presentation that raised questions.It used technology more widely than the audience expected.Hino admitted that the experiment was uncomfortable and called the reaction a lesson for the studio.

The dispute did not arise out of nowhere

Level-5 has always relied heavily on a recognizable visual style.Professor Layton, Ni no Kuni and Yo-kai Watch all have very specific artistic identities.Therefore, any traces of generation are noticed especially quickly here.

The head of the company also spoke about the desire to reduce the production of large games from about five years to two.AI is seen as one way to speed up the process.How far the studio is willing to go after the current backlash is unclear.

For Level-5 itself, this is now a matter of trust.What is important to players is not just the “AI used” sign, but an understanding of what exactly was created by humans and what went through generative processing.