Nintendo apparently lobbying Japanese government in fight against generative AI [update: denied]

Original: AI is a hot topic these days around the world, and Nintendo is no stranger to those discussions. The company has been asked for its thoughts previously and has expressed some skepticism.

Now we’re hearing that Nintendo is lobbying Japanese government in the fight against generative AI. That news comes from Satoshi Asano, who serves on the House of Representatives with the Democratic Party for the People in Japan. Nintendo is only a small part of his lengthy media post, but Asano claims the company “avoids using generative AI to protect its IP and is also engaging in lobbying activities with the government.”

The full post reads:

Thank you all for your comments and opinions on my latest post yesterday regarding generative AI.

While acknowledging the convenience of generative AI, I have once again realized the importance of protecting creators’ rights. I sincerely accept the fact that my post has sparked discussion.

Upon investigation, I found that in a past dispute case, in 2025, the Yomiuri Shimbun sued Perplexity AI, seeking approximately 2.17 billion yen in damages. The unauthorized use of articles was called into question, and the Nikkei Shimbun and Asahi Shimbun have also filed similar lawsuits.

Additionally, overseas, the New York Times has sued OpenAI, and Getty Images has sued Stability AI for copyright infringement.

In recent domestic initiatives, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has issued the “Guidebook for Utilizing Generative AI in Content Creation,” recommending checks for similarity between AI-generated works and existing copyrighted materials. Moreover, companies like DeNA that build AI using their own data are increasing. Nintendo avoids using generative AI to protect its IP and is also engaging in lobbying activities with the government.

In the future, as a party, we will promote the ethical use of generative AI while considering strengthening regulations, in line with Representative Tamaki’s post. While referring to the opinions received this time from all you creators, I would like to consider effective measures. We look forward to your continued opinions.

Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser (who’s retiring at the end of this year) previously said there’ll always be a human touch in how the company makes games. Mario and Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto also shared a few thoughts last year.

Nintendo has denied Asano’s comments with a statement, which you can find below. Asano has also deleted his message and post for providing incorrect information.

Contrary to recent discussions on the internet, Nintendo has not had any contact with the Japanese government about generative AI. Whether generative AI is involved or not, we will continue to take necessary actions against infringement of our intellectual property rights.