Nintendo would "rather go in a different direction" than follow AI trend, says Miyamoto

Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto has stated the company would "rather go in a different direction" when it comes to using AI.

In an interview with the New York Times, Miyamoto discussed the importance of originality for the company and what makes Nintendo special, using AI as an example.

"It might seem like we are just going the opposite direction for the sake of going in the opposite direction, but it really is trying to find what makes Nintendo special," said Miyamoto. "There is a lot of talk about AI, for example. When that happens, everyone starts to go in the same direction, but that is where Nintendo would rather go in a different direction."

The company's pursuit of originality was instilled by Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi.

"Mr. Yamauchi back in the day would tell us that we are not good at fighting: 'We are weak - so don't go picking fights with other companies,'" said Miyamoto.

The Mario and Zelda creator was interviewed in celebration of the newly-opened Nintendo Museum.

Eurogamer also visited the museum, calling it "a joyful celebration of machines, magic and the art of play".

Nintendo is certainly protective of its original franchises. AI images of Mario have been removed from the internet, ironically using an AI tool, though it's unclear if Nintendo itself is behind this.

By contrast, EA CEO Andrew Wilson last week stated AI is "the very core of our business", while Nvidia boss Jensen Huang has discussed the advantages of the technology to advance graphical capabilities.