Nintendo has denied accusations of working with the Japanese government to lobby against generative AI. This response came after claims surfaced, suggesting that while many gaming companies have embraced the technology, Nintendo was moving in the opposite direction.

Nintendo officials clarified their stance regarding the allegations of lobbying. According to recent tweets from Nintendo’s official corporate account, there has been no communication with the Japanese government concerning AI.

These claims were initially sparked by a now-deleted post from Japanese politician Asano Satoshi, who suggested Nintendo was “advancing lobbying efforts” to promote anti-AI policies to protect intellectual property. Nintendo maintains that while it emphasizes copyright enforcement, it is not taking a public stance against generative AI.

Asano has since retracted his statement, admitting to not verifying the information he shared.

Furthermore, Nintendo acknowledged the ongoing challenges that copyright infringement poses in the context of AI-generated content, highlighting how various generative models often use copyrighted material for training, making it difficult to differentiate between fair use and infringement. Nonetheless, Nintendo’s approach to AI remains cautious yet open to its potential benefits. Doug Bowser, spokesperson for Nintendo of America, stated that while the company does not plan to replace workers with AI, it is evaluating AI’s utility for enhancing operations.