{"id":30430,"date":"2026-06-09T16:15:07","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T13:15:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/console-classics.com\/?p=30430"},"modified":"2026-06-09T16:15:09","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T13:15:09","slug":"sega-responds-to-genai-controversy-in-crazy-taxi-world-tour-development","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/console-classics.com\/ru\/video-games\/sega-responds-to-genai-controversy-in-crazy-taxi-world-tour-development\/","title":{"rendered":"Sega \u043e\u0442\u0440\u0435\u0430\u0433\u0438\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0430\u043b\u0430 \u043d\u0430 \u0441\u043f\u043e\u0440\u044b \u0432\u043e\u043a\u0440\u0443\u0433 \u0438\u0441\u043f\u043e\u043b\u044c\u0437\u043e\u0432\u0430\u043d\u0438\u044f \u0442\u0435\u0445\u043d\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0433\u0438\u0439 GenAI \u043f\u0440\u0438 \u0440\u0430\u0437\u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e\u0442\u043a\u0435 \u0438\u0433\u0440\u044b Crazy Taxi: World Tour"},"content":{"rendered":"

Everything you need to know about the Crazy Taxi World Tour GenAI debate, Sega’s stance, and the wave of fan reactions.<\/em><\/p>\n

GenAI in Crazy Taxi World Tour: Setting the Stage<\/h2>\n

There\u2019s nothing quite like the buzz of a new Crazy Taxi. The screech of tires, the city chaos, and now\u2014unexpectedly\u2014a heated discussion about artificial intelligence. As Sega prepared to relaunch Crazy Taxi World Tour<\/a>, fans were ready for nostalgia-fueled mayhem. Few expected a debate about generative AI to steal the spotlight.<\/p>\n

\n Crazy Taxi World Tour promotional art
Crazy Taxi World Tour promotional art<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But that\u2019s exactly where we\u2019ve landed. The moment Crazy Taxi: World Tour\u2019s Steam page went live, sharp-eyed players caught a quiet disclaimer: Sega used Generative AI (GenAI) tools while developing the game. Suddenly, the focus shifted from gameplay to an ethical and creative tightrope walk. Would this be a step forward, a stumble backward, or something more complicated?<\/p>\n

Sega\u2019s Official Word: \u201cEverything Will Be Original\u201d<\/h2>\n

When news of GenAI involvement broke, Sega was quick to address the wave of skepticism. In a statement shared with Game Informer, Sega didn\u2019t mince words:<\/p>\n

\n “We want to create things ourselves and deliver that as a great experience for our customers. So rest assured, everything in the final product is going to be original.”
\n \u2014 Sega Producers\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The emphasis on originality is clear. Sega insists that while GenAI supported development, the final Crazy Taxi: World Tour<\/a> will feature assets created by human hands. That\u2019s bold, and maybe a little defensive, but it\u2019s the kind of concrete promise fans were demanding.<\/p>\n

What Sega Actually Did with GenAI<\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s get granular. Here\u2019s the core of Sega\u2019s official GenAI disclaimer:<\/p>\n

\n “At SEGA Corporation, we utilize generative AI as a support tool for developers, aiming to provide better content to our users and enable developers to focus more on creative tasks. We have used such generative AI support tools during development of Crazy Taxi: World Tour. No AI was used in reference to the performers in the game.”\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So, according to Sega, GenAI wasn\u2019t making characters or dictating key moments\u2014it was there in the background, quietly generating ideas for things like cityscapes, signage, and maybe a stray palm tree or two. But this led to more questions: Where\u2019s the line between reference and final art? Could AI-generated concepts unintentionally shape the game\u2019s creative core?<\/p>\n

Game Informer pressed for clarity and received this:<\/p>\n

\n “Generative AI was used to support our teams during the development of background assets for \u201dCrazy Taxi: World Tour\u201d. Assets generated were still subject to review by the development team.”\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This is where my skepticism started to kick in. \u201cSupport,\u201d \u201creference,\u201d \u201cbackground assets\u201d\u2014all sound innocuous, but they\u2019re also slippery. Creative work often takes its flavor from the smallest details. If AI is shaping the city\u2019s look, isn\u2019t it part of the creative process?<\/p>\n

Kenji Kanno Weighs In: Human Hands on the Wheel<\/h2>\n

To further calm the waters, Crazy Taxi creator Kenji Kanno explained to Kotaku exactly how GenAI factored in:<\/p>\n

\n \u201cWe used it as a reference. 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. So actual creators, everything from programming to assets, everything is made by an actual human. It\u2019s only used as a reference for them to look at and then they would actually create the actual thing that would go into the game… For us, the extent of how we use generative AI is only what I mentioned earlier. [It\u2019s] just for ideas and just as a reference.\u201d\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Kanno\u2019s explanation makes GenAI sound like an updated version of mood boards or sketchbooks. Artists still drive the process, but now they have a new (and admittedly controversial) tool in the mix. I\u2019ll admit, initially I was uneasy; the phrase \u201cjust as a reference\u201d feels both reassuring and a little vague. Whose creative hand is really on the brush?<\/p>\n

Not Everyone\u2019s Buying It: The Online Backlash<\/h2>\n

Once the GenAI disclaimer surfaced, the internet did what the internet does: react, dissect, and debate\u2014sometimes with a vengeance.<\/p>\n

\n Fan backlash social media screenshot
Fan backlash social media screenshot<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Comments ranged from mild disappointment to outright condemnation. Here\u2019s a taste of the skepticism:<\/p>\n