The gaming industry has grown immensely in the past recent years alongside the tech developments. A great contribution to this growth has been given by the use of AI and machine learning in modern gaming. The latest gaming technology features both AI and machine learning in its composition, making the player experience more dynamic and engaging.
But how have these two elements impacted modern gaming? What news did they offer the gaming community, and what is the future of AI and machine learning in modern gaming? These are all questions that we will answer in the following paragraphs. So, let’s get going!
AI in Gaming
AI has been present in developing games for quite some time now. One of the benefits that AI has brought to the gaming industry is the ability to create a dynamic environment for all players. In addition to that, the incorporation of AI in games has made them more engaging for the players, allowing them to feel good and socialize with the gaming community.
One of the main features of AI in gaming is NPCs or non-player characters. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, an NPC is “a character in a computer game that is not controlled by someone playing the game”. That being said, NPCs have a strong background in AI algorithms which make those characters behave as humanly as possible. As a result, other human players in the game cannot predict what those characters are about to do in specific situations because they are not programmed to act in patterns only.
Similarly, AI has integrated the so-called procedural content generation in games, or for short PCG. This term straightforwardly refers to the creation of data by computers. By using PCG in gaming, developers are able to create all types of worlds and universes that could be in one game.
This content generation of computers saves a lot of time for the game developers as it is solely done by AI algorithms. An example of a game that uses PCG is No Man’s Sky which has countless planets and ecosystems in its servers ready for players to use.
Machine Learning in Gaming
Machine Learning (ML) is also a component that is being used increasingly daily in the gaming industry. The great thing about ML is its ability to analyze data, which is also its main use when it comes to gaming. For example, one of the cases where ML is used is in analyzing the players’ behavior in the game. Then, this data is taken into consideration by the developers who implement changes based on the analysis in order to provide a better experience for its users.
In addition to that, ML in gaming is used to smoothen the whole hardware configuration that goes behind in the game. As a result of that, players have a better and more optimized gaming experience which would not be possible without the integration of ML. One of the games that has applied ML vigorously is Minecraft.
One of the applications of ML in gaming is through deep learning agents. Those agents are deep learning neural networks that are typically fed a huge amount of data. Then, after learning from that huge amount of data they make intelligent decisions in complex environments, such as managing real-time strategy through the AI characters. As a consequence, the game itself is more adaptive and engaging for the human players.
Benefits of AI and ML in Gaming
One of AI and ML’s strongest points in gaming is their ability to create real-life situations and environments. This is particularly important for the gaming community who spends a lot of time inside playing rather than socializing in the real world. For example, there are plenty of AI tools (some of which are also free of use) where you can create real life characters and images. This AI ability is used to develop animations in gaming, which offer a real-life experience for the players.
Furthermore, AI goes beyond animations and is now able to create sounds and audio by analyzing human speech. The result is definitely stunning to the point that sometimes it is difficult to even recognize whether an audio is real or AI-generated. This again contributes to the players’ experience, making it more believable and immersive.
Drawbacks of AI and ML in Gaming
Just like with everything else, the inclusion of AI and ML in gaming has its own drawbacks. One of the biggest concerns in regard to that is the effects it might have on humans. Since AI and ML create a highly realistic environment for players, it is possible that players can develop an addiction to gaming in general. This is of course something that should be avoided as much as possible.
Apart from that, people also worry about their privacy when it comes to AI and ML in gaming. As previously discussed, both AI and ML feed on data that is retrieved from the human users. This data then is taken as the base for analysis to further develop the game. This, however, also means that the computer has access to a lot of personal behaviors of the user. This concern can be addressed by data policy and security measures, but also taking measures to protect your own privacy while playing online games.
AI and ML in Gaming – What’s there in the future?
AI and ML are definitely the future, and not just in gaming but a lot of other industries as well. AI and ML are currently being used and assessed in different applications in various categories and gaming is not an exception. Up until now, both these additions have been present in many different games and are expected to be part of them even in the future.
These technologies are advancing day by day, and as a result, it is foreshadowed that they will further contribute to the gaming industry. One of the potential uses which will be further analyzed and developed is the enhancement of virtual reality (VR) in gaming.
To summarize, AI and ML will definitely continue to be components in developing games. Their benefits far outweigh the drawbacks, and as a result are being used by many game developers worldwide. Ultimately, the future of the gaming industry seems brighter than ever with the help of AI and ML!
