We’ve long been used to playing games; artificial intelligence holds the promise of games that play along with us.
Image credits Victoria Borodinova.
Artificial intelligence (AI for short) is undoubtedly one of the hottest topics of the last few years. From facial recognition to high-powered finance applications, it is quickly embedding itself throughout all the layers of our lives, and our societies.
Video gaming, a particularly tech-savvy domain, is no stranger to AI, either. So what can we expect to see in the future?
More interactivity
Maybe one of the most exciting prospects regarding the use of AI in our games is the possibilities it opens up in regards to interactions between the player and the software being played. AI systems can be deployed inside games to study and learn the patterns of individual players, and then deliver a tailored response to improve their experience. In other words, just like you’re learning to play against the game, the game may be learning how to play against you.
One telling example is Monolith‘s use of AI elements in their Middle-Earth series. Dubbed “Nemesis AI”, this algorithm was designed to allow opponents throughout the game to learn the player’s particular combat patterns and style, as well as the instances when they fought. These opponents re-appear at various points throughout the game, recounting their encounters with the player and providing more difficult (and, developers hope, ‘more entertaining’) fights.
An arguably simpler but not less powerful example of AI in gaming is AI Dungeon: this text-based dungeon adventure uses GPT-3, OpenAI’s natural language modeler, to create ongoing narratives for the players to enjoy.
Faster development
It’s easy to let the final product of the video game development process steal the spotlight. And although it all runs seamlessly on screen, there is a lot of work that goes into creating them. Any well-coded and well-thought-out game requires a lot of time, effort, and love to create — which, in practical terms, translates into costs.
AI can help in this regard as well. Tools such as procedural generation can help automate some of the more time- and effort-intensive parts of game development, such as asset production. Knowing that more run-of-the-mill processes can be handled well by software helpers can free human artists and developers to focus on more important details of their games.
Automating asset production can also open the way to games that are completely new — freshly-generated maps or characters, for …….
Source: https://www.zmescience.com/science/ai-video-games-industry-impact-9246246246/