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Each day, we learn more of generative AI’s endless possibilities and its potential impact on several industries. While it’s set to make some major changes to the human world, there are several frontiers it’s going to explore in the meantime; one of which is gaming. Generative AI is soon set to have some major effects on the gaming world.
Generative AI exists in different forms; thus, it can impact gaming in several key areas. These include production time and NPC interactions. As for when we’ll feel the effects of AI in gaming, we’re not 100% sure. Several industry insiders say that it’s on the scale of years. So, for the time being, the gaming industry is still primarily driven by manpower, and many of us prefer it that way.
Generative AI can affect the gaming world in a few ways
Besides making tools to help users generate absurd images and generate college essays, AI companies are also making tools that help workers speed up productivity. Many businesses use models like GPT-4 and Gemini to assist workers with their tasks, and gaming companies are no exception. According to a study conducted by CNBC, 72% of workers said that AI technology actually helps speed up productivity. That’s not far off from the results of a study that Microsoft conducted.
With faster production speeds, games are expected to be produced more timely. “generative AI is already in use by lots of people. Programmers use Copilot and ChatGPT to help them write code, concept artists experiment with Stable Diffusion and Midjourney, and so on,” says Julian Togelius, New York associate professor of computer science.
Generative AI could also help with NPC interactions
Game companies using AI should come as no surprise, as many major companies are using AI. Google plans to use AI tools in its ad sales department. However, there’s a company looking to bring AI into the actual games. Many games nowadays use scripted interactions between playable characters and NPCs. Well, there are some companies looking to change that sometime in the near future.
Imagine interacting with a villager and having a completely unique conversation that no other player in the world is having. This is something that a company called Inworld is planning on doing, and it’s partnering with Microsoft to make it happen. Basically, the company is looking to work on technology that will let NPCs “evolve beyond predefined roles, adapt to player behavior, learn from interactions, and contribute to a living, breathing game world,” said Kylan Gibbs, co-founder and chief product officer of Inworld AI.
We won’t know how that’s going to be for another couple of years. The companies are still working on this technology, so who knows when we’ll see the first game using generative AI?