Professor Layton developer Level-5 has issued an apology for the mistrust caused by the use of generative AI in its recent “VISION 2026 II: Dreams” presentation. The studio also insists that some visual elements flagged by fans as AI-generated were actually human errors. In response to widespread criticism following the September 10 showcase, which featured upcoming titles like Yokai Watch 2: Haunted Domain, Decapolice, and Professor Layton and the New World of Steam, Level-5’s CEO Akihiro Hino released a statement acknowledging experimentation with AI processing techniques to enhance the presentation's visual appeal.
Fans expressed concern over inconsistencies and oddities in backgrounds and art, comparing trailers for the same games released just a day apart, such as the "Nintendo Direct Yokai Watch 2 trailer" and the "VISION 2026 trailer." Elements in the Professor Layton and the Curious Village remake trailer also drew scrutiny. Hino initially stated that AI tools were used to expedite the digitization of artist creations and that key game elements like story and character designs remain human-made, assuring that no "simplistic, AI-generated data" would be present in the released games. The studio aimed to shorten its typical five-year development cycle to two years by using AI for efficiency.
However, Hino's explanation did not quell the backlash. Many commenters criticized the focus on "flashiness" over creativity and raised ethical concerns about generative AI trained on copyrighted material. The situation was further complicated when Level-5's concept image for its Tokyo Game Show booth was also flagged as suspected AI art.
In a subsequent statement on September 17, Level-5 offered a deeper apology for the "distrust in our production process that our inexperienced use of AI and simple human errors have caused." The company reiterated that AI has not been used directly in the game content itself. Moving forward, Level-5 pledged to pay greater attention to accuracy and quality, and to revise "errors caused by AI use, as well as human mistakes that look like AI errors." Corrected versions of trailers for Decapolice and Holy Horror Mansion have since been uploaded to the studio's official YouTube channel ahead of Tokyo Game Show.
Level-5 provided a specific example regarding Yokai Watch 2, showing a side-by-side comparison of promotional art. The studio explained that seemingly unnatural telephone lines were hand-drawn by an in-house designer who intentionally simplified them to match the background, a stylistic choice that was misinterpreted as AI-generated. Other flagged details, like those on a vending machine and guttering, were attributed to human error in omitting details. The differing appearances of the character Kenta/Nathan between the "VISION 2026 II showcase" and the "Nintendo Direct" were attributed to an updated model used for the former, explaining the discrepancy without AI involvement. The studio did confirm that "no AI was used in Professor Layton and the New World of Steam" but remained silent on the Curious Village remake.
Despite these clarifications, some fans remain unconvinced, arguing that the core issue is the use of AI itself, regardless of how well it is concealed. Level-5 concluded its statements by apologizing again for the distrust and promising to limit AI usage to enhancing efficiency, avoiding direct application in videos released to fans. The studio has been experimenting with AI tools for efficiency and generating assets for over three years, including using Stable Diffusion for layout ideas and creating 3D models from 2D art, with these outputs serving as guidelines for human artists. It remains uncertain how this controversy will impact player trust in the company.