As triple-A studios embrace gen-AI, one dev is reportedly making candidates do live drawing tests to prove their art is real

Loathe it or merely hate it, gen-AI in videogames only seems to be increasing. We've seen it pop up in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and, more recently, Fortnite, with the latter perhaps not being too surprising given Tim Sweeney's call for storefronts like Steam to drop AI disclosures. In a recent interview with Daily Sincho, a weekly news magazine from Japan, one unnamed developer from a mid-sized Japanese studio claims that it's taking new measures to try and combat candidates' use of AI art, and a part of me is just sad that we've arrived here at all.

Speaking to the magazine anonymously, Mr. B, a "graphics chief at a mid-sized game company," claims that they've encountered consistent issues with people using generative AI to create images, claiming that they're their own. This has led to several problematic hires, as the artist is eventually unable to produce quality work. Note that the quotes below are machine translated (via Automaton).

"Many people claim that the images generated by the generative AI are their own creations, and we have had several cases where such people have been hired and ended up not being able to contribute to the company," he says. "As a result, we have changed our recruitment test style to have candidates actually draw pictures in front of us to assess their abilities.

"It is a lot of work for us as recruiters, and it feels like we've gone back in time, but it seems that there are several other companies that are doing the same thing."

He claims that, at the upper end of the studio, the resistance to generative AI art seems to be waning, with senior management apparently saying "maybe generative AI will suffice without hiring creators," and "we should hire people who can use generative AI effectively." While Mr. B has been vocal in his opposition, Daily Sincho states that "his position within the company is gradually weakening."

"I also use generative AI in my work as a supplementary tool. However, I strongly believe that it is human creators who can create compelling characters and graphics from scratch. That's why I've been telling my superiors that we should hire talented people, but the company is steering towards generative AI. I'm worried about how much my advice is being understood."

A report from the Tokyo Game Show's organizer, the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA), claims that over 50% of Japanese developers are using some form of AI. As financial paper The Nikkei states, 51% of companies are using the technology, often to streamline processes, but also to create in-game content.

Gen-AI use in videogames continues to draw backlash, to the point where a new Postal game was revealed and subsequently canceled within 48 hours due to alleged gen-AI use. We're sure to see more developers jump on the AI train in 2026, but the extreme dislike for gen-AI art and assets online could result in studios approaching its use more carefully, or perhaps even not at all.