Shigeru Miyamoto on AI: Mario Creator Says Humans Will Always Have a Role

Super Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto says generative AI can take over much of the labor of making games but will never replace a creator’s intent. The Nintendo legend made the comments at a Kyoto press conference on Oct. 22, 2026, held after he was selected for Japan’s Order of Culture, making him the first person from the video game industry to receive the honor.

Image: Shigeru Miyamoto greets fans at E3 2013 in Los Angeles. Photo: Jan Graber, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0 DE).

Shigeru Miyamoto and the Order of Culture

On Oct. 23, the Japanese government named Miyamoto, a representative director and fellow at Nintendo, as one of eight recipients of the 2026 Order of Culture, according to Inven Global. It is the first time the decoration has been awarded in the field of media arts for gaming. Miyamoto was previously named a Person of Cultural Merit in 2019, and the award ceremony is set for Nov. 3, Japan’s Culture Day.

The Order of Culture dates to 1937 and recognizes people who have made a significant impact on Japan’s art, literature, science, technology or culture, GoNintendo notes. It is conferred by the Emperor in person. Polygon described it as recognition typically reserved for artists, athletes and Nobel Prize winners.

Miyamoto, 73, is best known for creating Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda. The day before the announcement, he spent about an hour taking questions at Nintendo’s headquarters in Kyoto. Japanese outlets including Famitsu and Game Watch reported his answers, and the English translation widely cited by U.S. outlets came from VGC.

What Miyamoto said about AI

Miyamoto framed generative AI as the latest in a long line of tool changes. “Our generation lived through a period of rapid computer development, a time when tools were constantly evolving, moving from typewriters to word processors,” he said, as translated by VGC and quoted by GoNintendo.

He pointed to graphic design as an example. Designers once learned hand lettering for posters in school, and that skill alone was enough to earn the title. When computers took over those technical tasks, he said, “a designer’s true individual capabilities, such as their innate sense of layout, finally came to the fore. I believe generative AI represents a similar shift.”

He then drew a line between “creating” and the “labor” of filling in details. “The tricky part is that this labor can actually be quite enjoyable,” Miyamoto said. “There’s a danger: one might find satisfaction in the labor itself and mistakenly believe that a high-quality piece of work has been created. In that sense, the more AI replaces these tasks, the more it provides an opportunity to reflect on what’s really important, which I think is a positive thing.”

His conclusion was cautiously hopeful. Work made “merely by copying and pasting” rarely stands the test of time because it lacks a designer’s intention, he said. “Even if AI were to eventually handle everything, there will always be a role left for us to play.”

How fans and critics read it

The remarks drew different headlines. GamesRadar+ and Shacknews focused on Miyamoto’s view that AI’s rise is a natural progression and that humans will keep a role. Polygon’s Patricia Hernandez emphasized his warning that people can become so satisfied with the work of filling gaps that they mistake effort for quality. In the same press conference, Polygon reported, Miyamoto discussed how the countryside shaped his art and how Nintendo keeps a sense of originality with a workforce of about 10,000 people, and said he has spent his life trying to lower barriers for people to play and make games.

He is not the only veteran designer weighing in. Shacknews noted that Masahiro Sakurai, creator of Kirby and director of the Super Smash Bros. series, warned earlier the same week that overreliance on AI could lead to unoriginal, unplayable games. Miyamoto also made clear he does not speak for Nintendo as a company, GoNintendo said, though he is the first Nintendo employee to give a lengthy statement on the subject.

Why it matters for games and entertainment

The industry is in the middle of a heated debate about AI. Polygon wrote that AI tools have arguably made game creation more accessible while also flooding the internet with low-quality content. Disclosure rules on game storefronts and contracts for performers have become flashpoints in that fight. A measured statement from the designer behind some of the best-selling franchises in history carries weight in that conversation.

For more on how entertainment companies are leaning on familiar franchises and new technology, read our coverage of the Street Fighter movie winning the weekend box office and the new Alien movie in development with Ridley Scott producing. On the AI side, see our report on Anthropic’s Claude Duet agent preview.

Miyamoto will formally receive the Order of Culture on Nov. 3.

Sources

• GoNintendo: Shigeru Miyamoto shares his thoughts on AI
• Inven Global: Shigeru Miyamoto on AI
• Polygon: Super Mario creator breaks down the problem with AI
• Shacknews: Shigeru Miyamoto comments on AI
• GamesRadar+: Miyamoto says AI provides an opportunity to reflect on what’s really important
• Wikimedia Commons: Shigeru Miyamoto at E3 2013, photo by Jan Graber (CC BY-SA 3.0 DE)