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The Final Fantasy series has become one of the defining pillars of the JRPG genre and the music of Nobuo Uematsu is one of the defining features of the Final Fantasy series. The man has been involved in video game music since before many fans were born, giving him an exceptional insight into both the history of the industry and the future. For him, at least, that future doesn’t include AI.

During an interview with JASRAC Magazine (with initial translation by Automaton), Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu discussed many parts of his historic career, but it was his comments about AI and its place (or lack thereof) in video game music that stood out. He can see the technology being used to help composers transition between two different sounds more smoothly than they can now, but he admitted it wasn’t something he saw being used now. In addition, he unequivocally stated that it wasn’t something he wanted to use in the future.

“I’ve never used AI and probably never will,” Nobuo Uematsu said in the interview. “I think it still feels more rewarding to go through the hardships of creating something myself. 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. Even when it comes to live performances, music produced by people is unstable, and everyone does it in their own unique way. And what makes it sound so satisfying are precisely those fluctuations and imperfections.” It should be noted that his comments are at odds with Square Enix, the developer of the Final Fantasy series, who have said that they intend to "aggressive in applying AI" to their work.

The struggle of creating art, both honing the craft and sharpening a specific piece of music or prose or painting, is part of the human experience. Without it, there isn’t a soul to it, and Nobuo Uematsu sums up why that is so important. Art is never perfect. Art is never truly finished. Art is never easy, and that is why it is so enduring.

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