Hideo Kojima: The story of Metal Gear Solid 2 is not an AI prophecy, but a future I don't want to see.

Hideo Kojima clarifies that “Metal Gear Solid 2” is aimed at exploring digital society rather than AI prophecy, and states that this is a future he does not want to see. Regarding AI technology development, he previously predicted that future remakes would be handled by AI, and humans should focus on creating entirely new experiences.

Hideo Kojima clarifies: Metal Gear Solid 2 is not about AI prophecy

“Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty” is often regarded as a classic game predicting the AI era, but that is not the truth. Producer Hideo Kojima recently clarified on WIRED’s program that “Metal Gear Solid 2” is not about AI, but about digital society.

In the program, a fan asked Kojima: “It seems that AI governance of society has gradually become a reality. ‘Metal Gear Solid 2’ was seen as a work touching on this topic at the time. Did you predict that this era would come?”

In a non-spoiler summary, “In Metal Gear Solid 2, players are forced to listen to a monologue about digital control, the flood of junk data, and people’s helplessness in dealing with the massive information generated by the modern world.”

Perhaps this situation is similar to recent rise of generative AI, where the internet is flooded with large amounts of AI Slop (AI garbage), but Kojima clarifies that “Metal Gear Solid 2” is often misunderstood as being about AI, when in fact it is about digital society. The context is that “Metal Gear Solid 1” first explored DNA, and linked it to the idea that internet memes would not stay in DNA, which led to a focus on the transition of the world from analog to digital."

Kojima: “After entering the digital age, everything will be preserved, just like social media today, even graffiti on walls will be preserved without degradation. When the internet connects everything and people exchange opinions everywhere, I started to think about what human life would become, which is why I created ‘Metal Gear Solid 2’.”

He adds that “‘Metal Gear Solid 2’ describes how various digital data intertwine and ultimately gain independent will.” After 24 years, what the game discusses is gradually becoming more realistic. Therefore, rather than saying ‘Metal Gear Solid 2’ is his prediction, it is more about a future he does not want to see.

Image source: Steam Hideo Kojima clarifies: Metal Gear Solid 2 is not about AI prophecy, but about a future he does not want to see

Early 2000s Japan, works exploring the future of the internet flourish

Considering that “Metal Gear Solid 2” was released in 2001, coinciding with the global internet bubble, that era indeed produced many works reflecting people’s mixed feelings of excitement and fear about how the internet was rapidly changing life.

For example, in the Japanese animation industry, there is Satoshi Kon’s 1995 “Perfect Blue” and Ryuutarou Nakamura’s 1998 “Rei”, which explore themes such as “online and offline identities,” “collective subconscious,” “internet cults,” and even the unimplemented concept of mind uploading.

Image source: AI-generated images of Satoshi Kon’s 1995 “Perfect Blue” (left) and Ryuutarou Nakamura’s 1998 “Rei” (right)

Hideo Kojima unafraid of AI: Remakes and sequels will be handled by AI

In addition to reflecting on past works, Kojima also offers views on the current game industry’s over-reliance on existing IPs, combining technological trends.

Last year, Kojima revealed at the Brazil Game Show (BGS) while promoting “Death Stranding 2” that the industry tends to produce sequels or remakes of well-known titles to reduce investment risk and ensure profits. While this makes sense from a business perspective, he warns that if the industry only produces such works, development will become dangerous.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Kojima predicted that in the future, these repetitive remakes and sequels will be executed by AI. As AI technology matures, mechanical content production will inevitably be automated, and the core value of human creators should focus more on pioneering entirely new works and experiences.

Further reading:
Hideo Kojima makes a will: maybe only 10 years left to make games, has put ideas on USB

Rather than being replaced by AI, better to train AI with games

Amidst the controversy over AI-generated art, Kojima offers a different perspective.

In an interview last year with Nikkei Xtrend, he stated that his interest in AI technology is not to generate art assets, but to build dynamic systems. He said that current AI knowledge is still insufficient and needs more learning, so he wants to create a game that can “please AI” or even “train AI.”

Kojima believes that allowing AI to learn player behavior through game systems can make enemy reactions more realistic and in-depth. He expects that in five to ten years, well-trained AI will truly integrate into different game worlds.

Further reading:
Should games pursue innovation? The answers from Kojima and Ueda, reflecting the divide between artists and craftsmen