Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being talked about a lot in the media, especially when it comes to business. However, AI is also very applicable to gaming. This is because the application of AI could have some profound effects on the way we play games in the years ahead.
While the concept of AI involves various kinds of applications, essentially it refers a computer programme that can automate processes and operate independently, after being “trained” with input from various data sources. This kind of application is known as “deep learning” and is being used to developing innovative ways of not only enhancing the experience of playing games, but also building them.
In this article we’ll give a brief overview of some of the current developments in AI in the world of gaming, which will shape the way we play games in the future.
Table of Contents
4 Ways AI Will Change the Way We Play Games
1. AI can create more expansive worlds
The genre of science fiction has come up with many scary ideas around how AI can be used to create games and virtual reality spaces that change and adapt, and even start to become independently intelligent themselves. There are many dystopian novels written about this, but how does this affect gaming today?
While complex AI isn’t actually used much in games, because it would create far too much unpredictability, the concept of AI is very useful when it comes to building games at scale, as AI can actually help to make game building easier, by automating certain processes and providing more computing power.
This already happens in gaming, as no one person designs every single second of a game themselves. The idea is that games are designed to be like a story, so there needs to be a flexible construct that allows players the opportunity to feel like they’re exploring on their own. With the use of AI, this kind of construct could become a lot more expansive, as automated processes could add differing elements to already complex game narratives and structures.
The key here is that increasingly sophisticated AI will allow for game elements to change and respond to each individual, and create an evolution of character development that hasn’t been seen before through what is termed self-learning software.
2. Tech can help us design and build our own games
Another aspect of AI in gaming, as we touched on above, is that it will actually be easier to build games ourselves.
Therefore, using self-learning software, anyone can actually build their own game, without actually having to know how to code. From a gaming perspective, this means a lot of creative fun for players, but also a different way of learning and building software tools that could spill over into other arenas. In this way, AI is seen as a collaborator in helping to build and design a range of new and innovative applications.
3. Data analytics and deep learning help us test out new concepts
Following on from the point above, AI will also not only give us the tools to build and scale game experiences more quickly, and with less coding knowledge, it also provides a convenient way to test out existing games and software.
For example, AI can be used to test out a game, and through this, learn more about how to teach machines how to perform complex tasks. In addition, AI can be used to pick up on any errors in a game, and learn more about where the game can be improved through the use of data analytics driven by automated processes, known as data mining.
Therefore, this application, while useful in gaming, also has far reaching implications for the software industry in general.
4. AI creates more opportunities for personalisation
One of the most talked about applications of AI is making recommendations and offering more personalisation, which as we mentioned above, will have incredible implications for the type of gaming experiences we will experience in the future.
Researchers give examples of being able to input information into a game to customise it to your own town, or include characters based on people that you know. overall, this kind of future AI would allow for games to evolve and grow according to your input and preferences, which is quite mind boggling to think about.
When it comes to related kinds of gaming, like online casino gaming for example, AI will also be able to offer more recommendations about who to bet for based on all the statistics and probabilities. In this way, data mining can be used to make more accurate predictions, and customise recommendations to your profile. In games like poker, AI would also be able to pick up on things like cheating, as well as fraud, which will hopefully add the the security of this industry in the future.
Conclusion
Overall, as with many industries, AI is set to change the way we engage with all kinds of software, including games. As we have covered above, some of the key areas where AI will change the way we play games concerns scalability, improved testing, data mining, personalisation and better security. We’ll have to wait to see how all of these developments “play” themselves out, but regardless, we’re sure to see exciting developments in the gaming industry in the years ahead thanks to AI.
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