Sega has made it clear that it does not intend to hand over the imaginative side of game design to artificial intelligence. Instead, the company is exploring how AI can streamline and accelerate work in other parts of the organization, such as publishing, corporate functions, and idea generation for new business opportunities. In a recent interview with Nikkei, which was relayed by the video‑game news outlet VGC, senior executive officer and deputy chief business officer Tsuyoshi Saito explained that Sega is proceeding with a "very cautious" approach when it comes to integrating generative AI into the actual development pipeline of its games. "We are employing AI tools to raise efficiency in areas like publishing and our internal departments, as well as to help brainstorm business concepts," Saito said.
"However, we are extremely careful about using AI within the creative process of game development, and we are not delegating the artistic and narrative decisions to machines." The remarks come on the heels of Sega’s formation of a dedicated "Generative AI Committee" last year. The committee was first introduced publicly during a CEDEC (Computer Entertainment Developers Conference) presentation led by Sega’s technical director and deputy director of research and development, Taishi Yokoshima.
According to the same presentation, the committee includes an "AI Task Force" whose mandate is to design and maintain proprietary AI tools tailored to Sega’s internal needs. Japanese technology news site ITmedia, cited via machine‑translated excerpts, reported that the task force is also responsible for ensuring that any AI‑driven processes comply with the company’s broader ethical guidelines and quality standards.
Beyond internal development, the AI committee works closely with Sega’s public‑relations teams in North America and Europe. Their goal is to field inquiries from game distribution platforms and other external stakeholders who are increasingly interested in how AI is being used in the creation and distribution of video games. This proactive communication strategy reflects a growing industry trend toward transparency around AI usage.
Earlier in the year, Sega found itself at the center of a controversy when it was disclosed that generative AI had been employed during the creation of background assets for the title "Crazy Taxi: World Tour." While the revelation sparked debate among fans and industry observers, Sega’s response emphasized that the AI was used merely as a reference tool rather than a replacement for human artistry. Kenji Kanno, the creator of the Crazy Taxi series, elaborated on the matter during the Summer Game Fest, as reported by Kotaku. He clarified that the AI’s role was limited to providing ideas and visual references: "For us, the extent of how we use generative AI is only what I mentioned earlier. It's just for ideas and just as a reference.
Moving forward in the future, generative AI is probably going to be more of a hot topic, but I think that's all I can say right now on how we use generative AI for this game." Sega’s cautious stance is echoed by other major developers. Crystal Dynamics, the studio behind the "Tomb Raider" franchise, disclosed to GamesIndustry.biz that it also experimented with generative AI during the early prototyping phase of "Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis." Experience director Jeff Adams described the workflow: "We might have the idea for an in‑game object and we're not sure whether we want to spend the dev time to build it.
We can use a generative AI tool to visualise it in the world and if it works, we'll then move it to our traditional production pipeline." Adams stressed that the final assets that appear in the shipped game are always crafted by human artists. "Our team will concept it, they will build it, making sure that all the finished content in the final game is human‑created.
We just want to make it as easy as possible for our devs to be able to make high‑quality experiences because that's what the fans want," he added. Sega’s internal policy, therefore, can be summed up in three key points: (1) AI may be employed to boost efficiency in non‑creative departments such as publishing, marketing, and corporate strategy; (2) AI tools can serve as rapid prototyping aids or idea generators, but the actual creative decisions and final assets remain firmly in the hands of human designers and artists; and (3) the company maintains a dedicated oversight structure—the Generative AI Committee and its AI Task Force—to monitor usage, develop in‑house solutions, and ensure compliance with both internal standards and external regulatory expectations. By drawing a clear line between assistance and authorship, Sega hopes to reap the productivity benefits of modern AI technology without compromising the artistic integrity that fans associate with its franchises. This balanced approach mirrors a broader industry conversation about how to integrate powerful new tools while preserving the human touch that defines compelling interactive entertainment.
As AI continues to evolve, Sega’s ongoing experiments and its transparent communication strategy will likely serve as a reference point for other studios navigating the same terrain.