Yuji Horii: AI in Dragon Quest as future companions

Yuji Horii, the creator of the popular Dragon Quest series, recently spoke about the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the game experience. During the Google Cloud Next 2026 conference, he emphasized AI’s role as a potential and valuable companion for players, giving interactions with in-game characters a new dimension.

Horii’s vision for AI

Horii describes AI not just as a useful tool, but as a true friend for each individual player. He believes that interacting with AI-driven characters can help create a deeper bond between players and their digital companions. “AI can respond now, which lets us make in-game characters feel even more human,” he said. That fits with his original goal for Dragon Quest, where he wanted the villagers’ dialogue to sound as authentic as possible.

Oshaberi Slimey: AI in action

One concrete example of this vision is the collaboration between Square Enix and Google on the development of Oshaberi Slimey (also known as Chatty Slimey). This AI chatbot, powered by Gemini technology, will be integrated into Dragon Quest X. Horii hopes that AI characters like this could appear not only in Dragon Quest, but in other series as well. He points to the potential benefits of AI characters that can listen empathetically to players’ concerns and even talk with them about topics outside the game.

The role of AI in learning game mechanics

Horii suggests that AI characters could serve as guiding companions while playing. That would not only help experienced players, but also support newcomers as they explore the game world. “AI characters can be an entry point that helps beginners learn the game and maybe even be considered friends after they’ve left the game,” he added.

Looking ahead to the future of gaming, Horii hopes that integrating AI into games like Dragon Quest will improve the way players interact with characters and the game world. He stressed that it’s important to implement AI in a way that enriches the experience without losing sight of the gameplay.

With technology continuing to evolve, it’s clear that AI’s role in gaming is becoming more relevant. Horii’s vision offers a glimpse of a future where AI-powered companions not only deepen in-game interactions, but also create an emotional connection between players and their digital friends.