A lot of studios are receiving portfolios that look authentic at the start but end up being AI-generated, and several companies have decided they won’t keep trying to figure it out.
A Japanese studio has already shifted to a no-nonsense approach, having candidates illustrate live so there’s no question about whether the art is truly theirs.
What Are Studios Doing to Stop AI Cheating?
One mid-sized Japanese game studio shows just how far companies are now prepared to push back.
After hiring several applicants who turned out to rely heavily on AI-generated illustrations, the studio realized that their traditional portfolio review process could no longer verify real skill.
The lead graphic designer explained that people came in with clean, polished work, yet had a hard time producing anything similar on the job, exposing a big difference between what they submitted and what they could actually do.
The studio responded by revamping its hiring approach so that every artist is asked to draw in real time during the interview, whether on paper or a company device.
The designer says it drains recruiters’ time, slows everything down, and feels like hiring has stepped backwards, but argues it’s still a safer bet than combing through digital submissions that might be AI-touched.
They also claim other studios in Japan have started adopting similar tests after running into the same issues.
Why Are Contests and Publishers Struggling With AI?
This change is unfolding at the same time Japan’s creative industries are dealing with a wider problem caused by generative AI blurring the line between real artwork and machine-made content.
Many contests have fallen apart because organizers can no longer tell real artwork from AI-made pieces, and the Yokai Senryu competition even closed for good after judges admitted they couldn’t reliably assess entries anymore.
Publishers of manga and novels are facing similar confusion, forcing some companies to completely ban AI-generated content from competitions to protect the discovery of new talent.
Editors warn that if AI continues to overwhelm entry-level contests, publishers will lose one of their most important ways of finding upcoming creators.
All of this shows a rising concern in the industry that spotting AI-created work has turned into extra work that eats up time, strains resources, and weakens trust.
Is This Becoming the New Industry Standard?
With employees from several studios sharing similar experiences, there’s a growing sense that live skills tests might soon be the default step in creative recruitment.
In a time when AI can imitate styles, fake work-in-progress shots, or even pose as a rough sketch, studios are prioritising certainty over convenience.
The safest way to ensure the work is genuine is to see the artist create it in real time.
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