Sega has clarified its use of generative AI during development of Crazy Taxi: World Tour following online criticism. Series creator Kenji Kanno said the technology served only as a reference tool for artists. The company emphasized that all final assets were created by humans.
Sega revealed Crazy Taxi: World Tour at the Xbox Summer Showcase. A disclosure on the game's Steam page stated that generative AI tools were used as a support for developers to focus on creative tasks. The statement specified that no AI was used in reference to performers. In comments to Game Informer, Sega said the technology aided the development of background assets, with all AI-generated material reviewed by the team. At Summer Game Fest’s Play Days event, Kanno explained the process during a presentation attended by members of the press. “We used it as a reference,” Kanno said via translator. “So our artists would pull up [and] generate some of their ideas and then they would look at that, you know, generated image and then they would draw the actual thing.” He added that everything from programming to assets was made by humans. Kanno noted that generative AI would likely remain a controversial topic moving forward but confirmed its limited role in the game.
