Using AI in Video Games
From the first Pokémon Go craze to the latest augmented reality apps, gamers spend hours wandering around in real life catching the occasional Psyduck or committing an odd trespass in search of a rare Candy Corn. That’s a lot of data to process, and the burgeoning field of artificial intelligence (AI) has found ways to extract value from that data.
The main use of AI in video games today is to make the game world feel alive and responsive. That’s why contemporary game engines like Unity are embracing AI technologies, such as generative models and natural language processing, to allow players to interact with non-player characters (NPCs) in ways that feel more human.
Understanding AI Black Boxes in Game Mechanics
For example, the Sikkim Game app in games can now speak to the player in a more natural manner thanks to the power of speech recognition and synthesis, while some researchers are using generative AI to generate human-like body gestures. This will make NPCs more responsive and less predictable, adding another layer of realism to the gaming experience.
More sophisticated AI can also enable the insertion of realistic physics into gameplay. For example, in the soccer-inspired game AI Limit, the player’s character will huddle up when its health falls low. This is a more human response to a lack of ammunition, rather than running away from the enemy and leaving itself vulnerable. The AI is also able to analyze game data in minutes, which would require a human to work for days just to read through the same amount of information.…