The gaming industry has a love-hate relationship with AI

One of the main concerns is for creatives focused on narrative and quality control. “I think replacing someone’s job is a genuine concern. AI should be used to enhance capabilities, not reduce workforce,” said one person on condition of anonymity.

Despite that context, some companies have been vocal against generative AI in particular. Nintendo CEO Shuntaro Furukawa has accepted that while it can be used creatively, it also has the potential to raise intellectual property issues.

“We have decades of expertise in creating the best gaming experiences. While we are open to utilizing technological developments, we will work to continue to deliver value that is unique to Nintendo and cannot be created with technology alone,” said the executive.

While critical of generative AI, Nintendo and other companies in the sector have stressed that artificial intelligence represents a turning point for the industry and the improvement of video games when complemented by human creativity.

How is AI used in gaming?

Artificial Agency, an AI company formed by former Google DeepMind researchers, recently raised $16 million in funding to develop smarter NPCs (Non-Playable Characters) in video games.

NPCs are traditionally figures with specific actions within the title, as well as prescribed scripts that are often unrealistic representations of reality and even boring. That is why this company developed a programming engine that allows each NPC to be given motivations, rules and objectives to react contextually to the way users interact with them.

“This type of interaction and dynamic response that our system enables is going to be a key focus for the video game industry in the coming years,” said company CEO Brian Tanner.

Nvidia, one of the companies that has benefited the most from the generative AI boom, also applies Artificial Intelligence in other ways to gaming, and one of them has to do with image quality, since through its RTX Video Super Resolution technology it scales the resolution to match that of the monitor where it is played.

For example, if a screen is 4K and the console or computer does not reach that graphic quality, the AI ​​of the company’s graphics cards comes into operation so that the images are displayed in the highest possible quality.

This technology analyzes each frame that is in low resolution using deep learning to predict the best image in the final result and superimpose it in order to display the highest quality.

According to gaming conglomerate Embracer Group, the use of AI should empower developers by increasing resource efficiency and optimizing gaming experiences.

“By leveraging AI, we create more engaging and immersive experiences that provide each player with unique, dynamic and personalized gameplay,” the company said. “We also see great opportunities for AI in game development, logistics and planning.”