Overview
- Konami published an earnings report on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, in which president Hideki Hayakawa said he does not believe AI "will bring a significant change" to the games market.
- The firm calls AI a "notable opportunity" but says it will study the technology, issue slow, staged guidance and set internal guardrails before wider use by development teams.
- Hayakawa argued that human creators and the collaboration of diverse teams produce the unpredictable ideas that drive innovation and cannot be easily replaced by AI.
- Coverage links Konami’s stance to its user-generated-content strategy and projects such as Wai Wai World Craft while noting the company’s position contrasts with more bullish industry executives.
- The statement arrives as Japanese developers report high generative-AI use and renewed questions about training data, copyright and player trust, which could push publishers to tighten policies and developer training.