Nintendo uses a third-party AI-powered copyright enforcement service called Tracer to identify and issue takedown notices for online content — including AI-generated images — that allegedly infringes Nintendo's intellectual property.

As reported by The Verge and multiple outlets in September 2024, a company called Tracer used AI tools — including machine vision, image recognition, and language processing — to scan social media platforms (primarily X, formerly Twitter) and identify images of Nintendo characters such as Mario. Tracer then issued DMCA takedown notices on Nintendo's behalf. The AI-generated images targeted included content created using Grok (xAI's image generator). Reports also noted that some human-made fan art was caught in the same automated sweep, raising questions about false positives. Nintendo and Tracer did not publicly comment on the specific arrangement.