Minicast: Unlocking the power of AI in gaming

Artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionised modern gaming, with its impact felt in areas such as game design, character behaviour, and player experience.

Boutique investment firm PAC Capital's chief investment officer, Clayton Larcombe, recently spoke to Digital Nation Australia about AI's crucial role in gaming and how it enables players to interact with their characters.

Larcombe explained that AI is not just a buzzword, but a necessary component of the modern gaming experience. He cited Microsoft's recent $10 billion investment in AI as an example of the technology's growing influence across the sector.

According to Larcombe, game developers are powering characters with AI, giving players the ability to interact with them.

Players can now have a conversation with the character they are controlling and talk about their day or their world, how to get to the next level, or how to build a castle. This gives players the ability to make decisions in the game, and AI makes it possible for the character to respond to their interactions.

"That takes time. That takes a lot of data, and that is machine learning 101," Larcombe said.

AI allows gamers to evolve and grow with their characters and build relationships that extend beyond the game.

"That world doesn't just stop when you turn the machine off, that world is going all the time. These players, sleep and interact like humans, but they eventually are building their own life in their own story, inside these worlds and having their own brains that are developing, and that's what people want," explained Larcombe.

"They want this interaction to check in with their player or character on a basis and help them evolve, grow, and grow together."

As AI continues to evolve, its impact on gaming is set to increase. The gaming industry is likely to see new and innovative uses for AI, resulting in a more personalised and immersive gaming experience.