Final Fantasy Composer Has Never Used AI And Says He Probably Never Will

Final Fantasy series composer Nobuo Uematsu has shared his thoughts on the rise of artificial intelligence in gaming, saying in an interview that AI has some potential for music in games, but he doesn’t plan to use the technology personally.

Speaking to JASRAC Magazine^[1], Uematsu said it’s possible AI could help with transitions in game music between sounds, but using generative AI to make new music for games is not something he is interested in pursuing.

“I’ve never used AI and probably never will. I think it still feels more rewarding to go through the hardships of creating something myself,” he said, as reported by Automaton^[2]. “When you listen to music, the fun is also in discovering the background of the person who created it, right? AI does not have that kind of background though.”

Uematsu also noted live performances of music are inherently “unstable,” and it is those “fluctuations and imperfections” that make the music sound “so satisfying.”

Uematsu makes music for Square Enix, and its president said in 2024 that the company wants to be aggressive when it comes to adopting and implementing AI systems^[3]. “I believe that generative AI has the potential not only to reshape what we create, but also to fundamentally change the processes by which we create, including programming,” Takashi Kiryu said.

Artificial intelligence has been a hot-button issue in gaming and other industries, with many expressing fear and doubt^[4], while others, like Hideo Kojima, believe it should be embraced.^[5] Many experts believe the AI bubble is set to burst^[6], with key players left standing and others falling by the wayside. A 2024 survey of game developers worldwide found that the majority of workers in gaming use generative artificial intelligence systems to make games^[7], despite ongoing concerns.