We see how Intel and AMD are launching processors that include cores for artificial intelligence. We still know little about what uses they will have beyond Copilot, but we can begin to intuit something. Automatic frequency adjustments or better load management on the processor could be some of the uses. In addition to these aspects, its use could be extended to video games.
Video games will become “smart”
We have seen how NVIDIA has presented the technology ACE (Avatar Cloud Engine) that brings the NPCs of the games to life. They go from being extras, with repetitive phrases and actions, to being more intuitive and ingenious. This is, basically, giving new functionality to games that can generate a richer experience.
Allowing them to move “freely” around the stage expands the experience. You will go from knowing where to find it to having to look for it, for example, in a certain area. Furthermore, they will no longer have a fixed phrase or phrases, they will be a variant. There is nothing more annoying than an NPC who always says the same phrases.
For the game developers this is great, as it allows you to expand the possibilities of the game. In addition, the same NPC can suggest different missions or actions depending on the stage of the game you are in. There is little fun in carrying out a mission to find an object that when you start is difficult, but when you are halfway through the game, it becomes very simple.
Furthermore, it could lead to having generative maps that vary in extent and characteristics depending on the level we have. The number of enemies we encounter or the difficulty of the missions is adapted. We could also see variations in rewards depending on how we have managed to overcome all the obstacles. In the end, it’s about making the game much more attractive.
There are an enormous amount of benefits that AI can bring to the world of video games. Important changes for an industry that we see, in many cases, stuck in recurring and repetitive sagas with little innovation.
Although, it has been present in video games for some time
Certainly, artificial intelligence has been used for a long time and has changed the way we play. NVIDIA DLSS is based precisely on artificial intelligence to achieve higher FPS in games. What it does is upscale images from a lower resolution using AI to obtain sharp images.
Not only that, NVIDIA also uses it in Ray Tracing. For this case, not all the paths of light rays and their impact on objects are calculated, but a part. Based on these light interactions, it is simulated what the rest of the interactions with the rest of the objects would be like. This is done because calculating all lightning strikes is extremely complex and would have an enormous computational cost.
The era of AI in games is beginning and the future looks very interesting.
