The prophecy comes true after 24 years! Hideo Kojima: Metal Gear Solid 2 is the future I don't want to see

Hideo Kojima clarifies that “Metal Gear Solid 2” is not an AI prophecy but about digital society, exploring information overload and digital control, which became a reality 24 years later. “It’s less about prediction and more about the future I don’t want to see.” During the internet bubble in 2001, works like “Blue Fear” and “Rei On” also explored similar themes. He predicts that future remakes will incorporate AI, with humans focusing on innovation and planning to create “training AI” games.

Hideo Kojima clarifies that Metal Gear Solid 2 discusses digital society, not AI

(Source: Steam)

“Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty” is often regarded as a classic game predicting the AI era, but that’s not the case. 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, “AI governance seems to be gradually becoming a reality. ‘Metal Gear Solid 2’ was seen as touching on this topic at the time. Did you predict 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, rampant spam data, and people’s helplessness in dealing with the massive information generated by modern society. Perhaps this situation is similar to recent rise of generative AI, where the internet is flooded with AI Slop (AI garbage). However, Kojima clarifies that “Metal Gear Solid 2” is often misunderstood as being about AI, but it is actually about digital society.

Kojima explains that the creative context started with “Metal Gear Solid 1,” which explored DNA, and then linked it to the idea that internet memes do not stay in DNA, leading him to focus on the shift from analog to digital. “After entering the digital age, everything is preserved, just like social media today, even graffiti on walls is preserved without degradation. When the internet connects everything and people exchange opinions everywhere, I began to think about how human life might change, which led to the creation of ‘Metal Gear Solid 2.’”

He adds that “Metal Gear Solid 2” depicts how various digital data intertwine and eventually develop independent consciousness. After 24 years, the themes in the game are gradually becoming more real. Therefore, rather than saying “Metal Gear Solid 2” is his prediction, it is more accurate to say it is a future he does not want to see. This statement is crucial—Kojima’s creation is not a hopeful vision but a warning allegory. He presents the potential distortions and alienation of digital society through gameplay, aiming to provoke players to think rather than celebrate this future.

Collective creation wave of internet anxiety in the millennium

Considering “Metal Gear Solid 2” was released in 2001, during the global internet bubble, that era indeed reflected many works that expressed people’s mixed feelings of excitement and fear about how the internet rapidly changed life. For example, in the Japanese animation industry, works like Satoshi Kon’s “Blue Fear” (1995) and Ryuutarou Nakamura’s “Rei On” (1998) explored themes such as “online and offline identities,” “collective subconscious,” “internet cults,” and even the unfulfilled concept of mind uploading.

These works share a deep anxiety about identity crises, information overload, and social control brought by digitalization. “Blue Fear” depicts the tearing between an idol’s true self and public image, foreshadowing conflicts between personal branding and authentic personality in the social media era. “Rei On” explores whether individual identity still matters when everyone’s consciousness is connected online. These themes, which seemed like science fiction in the late 1990s, have become everyday reality by the 2020s.

Kojima’s “Metal Gear Solid 2” is part of this creative wave. But unlike pure animation, games as interactive media allow players to personally experience the oppression of digital control. When players are forced to receive大量 meaningless information, discover their choices manipulated by systems, or even question the authenticity of their gameplay, this interactive experience is far more impactful than passive viewing.

Millennium internet anxiety was not baseless whining but a keen perception of upcoming social changes. Although creators at the time could not foresee the specific forms of smartphones, social media, and generative AI, they accurately captured core issues of digitalization: information overload, attention competition, authenticity crisis, and algorithmic manipulation. Looking back after 24 years, these works’ insights are astonishing.

Hideo Kojima predicts AI will take over remakes and focus human effort on innovation

Last year, Kojima revealed at Brazil’s BGS (Brazil Game Show) 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 commercially, 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 handled by AI. As AI technology matures, mechanical content production will inevitably be automated, and human creators should focus more on pioneering entirely new works and experiences. This perspective creates an interesting dialogue with current industry anxieties. Many developers worry AI will take their jobs, but Kojima believes AI should handle repetitive tasks, freeing humans to do more creative work.

In the current era of generative AI image controversies, Kojima offers a different perspective. In an interview with Nikkei Xtrend last year, he said his interest in AI is not to generate art assets but to build dynamic systems. He states that current AI knowledge is insufficient and needs more learning, so he wants to create a game that can “please AI” or even “train AI.”

Kojima believes that using game systems to let AI learn player behavior can make enemy reactions more realistic and deep. He expects that in five to ten years, well-trained AI will truly integrate into different game worlds. The concept of “training AI with games” is highly forward-looking. Most current AI training data come from text, images, and videos, but the interactive data from games could contain richer decision logic and strategic thinking. If AI can learn human creativity and adaptability from games, its intelligence could make a qualitative leap.

This attitude also reflects Kojima’s confidence as a creator. He is not afraid of AI replacing humans because he believes that true creativity—conceiving new worlds, designing revolutionary gameplay, conveying profound emotions—is difficult for AI to replicate. AI can optimize, execute, and imitate, but it is hard to create original experiences that truly move people from scratch. Kojima positions himself as a provider of this originality, not as a performer of repetitive work.