As discussion on generative AI and machine learning heats up, one former PlayStation exec has a pretty bold prediction for where things are headed. Shuhei Yoshida believes a future is coming where every single game ships with its own AI agent baked right in. Not just as a development tool, but as part of the player experience itself. Even the indie scene is now utilizing AI in creative and unexpected ways, according to Yoshida.
The Ape Escape director said, based on his own experience, AI is already everywhere behind the scenes. “AI is already being used in every aspect of game development, whether indie or major studio,” Yoshida told Japanese media Gamespark.
Many are already using it to generate concept art, temporary voice lines, speed up coding, and even run automated test sessions. None of that shows up on-screen, but he thinks the most exciting stuff is happening in the indie scene, where AI is used as the game itself.
He pointed to Hanashi no Hanashi, a standout pick from Tokyo Game Show 2025’s Selected Indie 80 award. In this interactive story, you literally have to talk with the AI to move the plot. He added that another game lets players freely interrogate AI with text input as a detective.
“It’s amazing being able to talk with a game in your own words, instead of choosing from predetermined options,” Yoshida explained. “This kind of thinking, and the speed at which ideas can be turned into reality, is truly unique to indie games, I think.”
He also brought up Marvel Snap, which he said he plays religiously. Lose a few matches in a row, and the game probably slides you into a match with a weak AI. Basically, a kinder skill-based matchmaking that prevents ragequits without ruining someone else’s win streak.
But even with those clever use cases, it’s hard to ignore the other side of the AI boom. For every thoughtful experiment like Hanashi no Hanashi, the industry is drowning in AIslop. Cheap and rushed asset flips are flooding Steam, while big studios are quietly sneaking AI tools into places they absolutely shouldn’t. Even Black Ops 7 caught heat for embarrassingly relying on AI assets for Prestige icons and objectives. Now the real question is whether developers will use it to push creativity forward — or just cut corners until players stop noticing.
