Nintendo has released an official response after rumors spread online last week that it was lobbying against generative AI with the Japanese government, as reported by Video Games Chronicle.
Nintendo stated in a post on X (formerly Twitter): "Contrary to recent discussions on the internet, Nintendo has not had any contact with the Japanese government about generative AI. Whether generative AI is involved or not, we will continue to take necessary actions against infringement of our intellectual property rights."
Contrary to recent discussions on the internet, Nintendo has not had any contact with the Japanese government about generative AI. Whether generative AI is involved or not, we will continue to take necessary actions against infringement of our intellectual property rights.October 5, 2025
This statement was sparked by a now-deleted post by Japanese House of Representatives member Satoshi Asano claiming that Nintendo was "engaging in lobbying activities with the government" to push back against the use of generative AI. Asano posted a formal apology on Sunday after Nintendo's denial of the allegations, expressing regret at not adequately confirming the facts.
The mix-up comes amidst the tumultuous launch of OpenAI's Sora 2 AI video generation model, which was caught generating videos containing copyrighted content last week, including IP from Nintendo, Pokémon, Studio Ghibli, and more. One such video showed an AI-generated Sam Altman saying, "I hope Nintendo doesn't sue us," as photo-realistic Pokémon run around in the background. Backlash over these videos is likely part of the reason OpenAI is changing its policy for using copyrighted material in Sora.
Nintendo is famously protective of its IP, although its stance on the use of generative AI internally isn't fully clear yet. In the past, Nintendo has mentioned steering clear of generative AI for the time being, citing concerns about IP protection, but Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has also said the company is "open to utilizing technological developments." So, generative AI might not be permanently out of the question for Nintendo, which isn't exactly surprising considering over half of Japanese game companies are already using it in some capacity.
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