Artificial intelligence is everywhere and the video game industry stands to benefit greatly from it. A technology that will change many things for developers but also for players.
Microsoft has big ambitions in video games and wants to use artificial intelligence to differentiate itself. A goal that takes shape in Xbox's recent partnership with Inworld AI, a company specializing in the development of non-player characters (NPCs) with artificial intelligence.
People coming to life
Having significantly improved the graphical quality of titles, future progress in the world of video games could lie in the behavior and interactions that non-daytime characters (NPCs) provide. Previously controlled by simple scripts, these could be “brought to life” thanks to generative AI.
“We are developing the technology that allows NPCs to evolve beyond predefined roles, adapt to player behavior, learn from interactions and contribute to a vibrant game world,” said Kylan Gibbs, co-founder of Inworld AI at CNBC. “AI NPCs are not just a technological leap. This is a paradigm shift in player engagement. »
For game developers, this represents a major shift away from scripted dialogue towards dynamic, player-driven narratives that improve immersion and increase replayability, retention and revenue. When a game contains thousands of NPCs, having the AI generate individual stories for each of them can save significant development time.
Create unpredictable worlds
AI is already being used in the game production process for certain tasks, such as pre-production and content planning. According to a recent study by Bain & Company, video game executives expect AI to take over more than half of game development within five to 10 years.
While this doesn't reduce production costs, it does mean games can be delivered faster and with fewer errors. It would also be a way to involve the player in the game development process thanks to a “Creation Mode” that enriches user-generated content.
According to Julian Togelius, associate professor of computer science and engineering at New York University, generative AI is already being used by many people. “Programmers use Copilot and ChatGPT to write code, concept artists experiment with Stable Diffusion and Midjourney, etc. »
For developers, the challenges remain numerous, as predictability is an essential element in the video game design process. Even open-ended games with “infinite” possibilities need to work reliably, which requires a certain level of control and a high degree of predictability. A limitation that can represent an obstacle to the use of AI in video game development.
Source: CNBC