Christopher Koji Fox, a Square Enix localizer and lyricist, faced backlash during a panel at the Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival in Anaheim, California, for incorporating AI-generated images and videos. The presentation, titled 'From Tacos to Tenders: Serving up the Lyrics of FFXIV,' drew groans from the audience after Fox openly discussed using AI due to time constraints and his CEO's interest in the technology. Online reactions amplified the criticism.
The Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival 2026 continued on its second day in Anaheim on April 25, following the April 24 announcement of the MMORPG's new expansion, Evercold, set for release in January 2027. During his panel, Fox explained his use of AI tools, stating, “Due to time constraints, I wasn’t able to get permission to use official photos.” He added, “And, because our CEO has been keen on incorporating AI tools into our daily work, I decided to create an AI approximation of the famous artist that we’ve worked with on The Primals… and I did this to much success. And by much success, I mean no success.” Examples included an AI-generated music video using Copilot and an image of soundtrack artists created by AI, shown multiple times. The crowd, previously laughing, fell quiet with audible groans, and only a few attendees reacted positively as intended, according to observers present. Online, fans expressed disappointment on platforms like Bluesky, with one commenting, “Koji Fox speedruns the death of his good standing with the community.” Another replied, “He spent at least six months of goodwill by showing us that he used AI at work at least once.” Square Enix president Takashi Kiryu has previously supported AI integration. In a 2023 New Year's letter, Kiryu wrote, “We also intend to be aggressive in applying AI and other cutting-edge technologies to both our content development and our publishing functions.”
