Japan Game Studio Fights Back Against AI Art Fraud
A mid sized game studio in Japan has introduced a new and stricter hiring requirement for applicants after a rise in AI generated art submissions created confusion and damaged internal workflows. Candidates applying for illustration and design roles are now required to draw live during the interview. The decision aims to verify that the artwork shown in portfolios truly belongs to the candidate and has not been produced with generative AI tools.
The stricter policy came after several incidents where applicants submitted AI generated work as their own. According to a report from the Japanese publication Daily Shincho, a graphic design lead identified as B explained that some applicants were even hired based on polished portfolios, only for the studio to later discover that they could not produce the same quality. The discovery forced the company to spend significant resources reviewing projects and fixing the resulting issues.
To avoid repeating these mistakes, the studio now asks candidates to draw in real time in front of the recruitment team. B acknowledged that the method effectively confirms an applicant’s true skill level. However, he also admitted it has created additional difficulties and longer interview sessions for both applicants and staff. He added that other Japanese game companies have started adopting similar measures, showing that the industry is actively adjusting to the rapid growth of AI technology.
Although hiring practices are becoming stricter, B revealed that internal discussions have already begun about bringing AI specialists into the company or using generative AI more heavily in production pipelines. As an illustrator and character designer, he expressed concern about this direction. He said he does use AI tools for support in some tasks but firmly believes that the heart and personality of character design must originate from human creativity rather than rely entirely on automated systems.
This situation highlights a significant turning point for the game industry as studios search for new ways to handle the increasing presence of AI generated work. Live drawing tests may add more pressure, but they remain one of the few reliable ways to confirm genuine talent. At the same time, internal debates about how much AI should be used are becoming more intense, reflecting the larger industry wide question of how to balance human craftsmanship with the growing capabilities of AI.
The live drawing requirement may feel old fashioned, but it underscores a powerful truth that talent still matters most and the industry must guard the human spark that gives games their soul even as AI accelerates forward.
 origin: automaton
