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The global video game industry is poised to be disrupted by the emergence of artificial intelligence models that generate interactive 3D environments.
Google DeepMind and Fei-Fei Li's billion-dollar startup World Labs are among the leading AI groups claiming that so-called “world models,” or systems designed to navigate and reconstruct the physical world, have the potential to reshape the multibillion-dollar gaming sector.
“Software and game creation in particular has changed a lot, and we expect it to probably change completely over the next few years,” said Shlomi Fruchter, co-lead of Genie 3, DeepMind's global model.
“This will allow creators and developers to build things faster and better than ever before. … I don't think so.” [will] replace existing experience [but we will see] It offers more types of experiences that are not available today. ”
AI companies like Elon Musk's xAI and Nvidia are also trying to incorporate global models into robots and self-driving cars. But more direct benefits could come through the gaming sector, which is expected to generate about $190 billion in revenue this year, according to industry research group Newzoo.
Existing generative AI tools are already being used to create visual assets for games, such as unique landscapes and characters.
In May, Epic Games and Disney introduced the AI-powered Darth Vader, a version of the Star Wars character built by Google and Eleven Labs, as an interactive non-player character. fortnite.
Meanwhile, Game Gear CEO Alexander Vashenko said AI has quadrupled the development speed of titles like his studio's. Aliens vs Zombies: Invasion.
“Based on my professional experience, I strongly believe that the video game industry and the film industry will soon be unable to function without AI,” he added.
AI companies are betting that the release of new, more powerful world models that generate 3D interactive environments from text prompts will further accelerate the adoption of AI within gaming companies.
World Labs, founded by AI pioneer Fei-Fei Li, announced a world model called Marble last month. Runway, another AI group that works with game studios, unveiled its first world model in December.
Li said the technology will impact game engines such as Unity and Epic's Unreal. “This is all on the verge of chaos,” she added. “Simulation game engines have room for improvement.”
AI experts said that in the future, players will be able to create new game worlds themselves, and developers will be able to reduce the need for expensive software and specialized skills to generate content.
“Gamers in front of this world model can place themselves in a virtual world,” said Eric Singh, dean of Abu Dhabi's Mohammed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence. “So the gaming industry is very different than it is today, because creating personalized games is now an easy process.”
Critics argue that increased use of AI will result in a turnover of developers and artists, and that games' visuals will become “sloppy” or overwhelmed by low-quality AI-generated material.
This month, six European video game unions denounced the industry's growing use of AI, saying the tools are just like this. . . “It's being forced on us even though it's making our working conditions worse.”
But optimists say it has the potential to reduce costs, increase creativity and avoid development staff burnout. This would be a boon for an industry where top-tier games, known as triple-A titles, take years to develop and cost more than $1 billion.
DeepMind's Alexandre Moufarek, a former associate producer at French game maker Ubisoft, said he hopes the world model will help give developers the space to “find the fun” and “try new ideas and take risks again.”
“A lot of times, we don't have that time at the end of production. Christmas is coming up, we need to release the game, and we don't have time to polish what we wanted to do.” [or] Debug things properly,” he added.
“The more we get these models into the hands of creators, the more we are confident that they will discover new ways of working that we haven't yet anticipated.”
