AI has become a global word, driving sales, infrastructure, device creation, and even video games. In a world of cost-cutting measures, where everyone now needs everything at once, AI has become a tool used by many to save not just money but time and energy.
Will the next boogeyman be AI or something else? Will it “doom” us all to beings where humanity’s artistic talent lies dormant, locked behind the walls of ever-growing power-hungry server structures? Or is it the next step in human evolution, created not by selection or generation, but by human intervention?
Why is generative AI so bad?
As most of you probably already know, AI has the potential to replace many artistic creators and produce what many, myself included, would call a “failure.” Generative AI uses other people’s work as general rules to build other works. It basically recycles other work to produce something “new”, but in reality it’s all an interpretation of the training material.
In the case of video games, this can lead to a huge list of features that developers can offer without having to hire additional personnel or speed up the development process. This includes, but is not limited to, textures, animations, audio lines, written code, etc.
It may sound pretty obvious, but like all things, there’s a little more to the story than what’s on the surface.
Using ARC Raiders and their AI
As stated on the ARC Raiders Steam page, Embark Studios utilized AI tools in the creation of both ARC and The Finals.
During the development process, we may use procedural and AI-based tools to assist in the creation of content. In all such cases, the final product reflects the creativity and expression of our development team.
Even better, in recent months, Embark has given multiple interviews regarding its use of AI. Christopher Dring’s The Game Business show featured Embark CEO Patrick Soderlund. In the interview, he explained the reasoning behind the use of AI tools in considerable detail.
When talking about the need to keep pace with studios like DICE and Activision, Patrick started talking about completely rewriting the methodology for how games are developed.
“What kind of changes and transformations do we need to make to completely change the way we approach this? That’s why we started with procedurally generated content. The use of AI and some degree of machine learning in the content creation pipeline dictated what types of tools we built to use, and a lot of these tools that we’ve been working on have been coming from software that’s been around for a very long time, 25 to 30 years old.”
It didn’t just endure. It was about beating others in content creation. Even if you keep up the pace, you can only reach so far. In the world of top-end game developers, being first is key.
“So we may need to build some of the programs we currently use. We may need to write our own programs to get to where we want to be. Of course, we can’t say we’re 100 times faster than other studios, but of course we believe that’s what we’ve done. We’ve established a way to build products and games and update them, and I don’t think many other companies can compete.”
What will Embark Studios use in the final? Is it justified?
Here’s a list of things Embark Studios uses AI in ARC Raiders:
- procedural animation: They created a system to animate the robots in the game so that they can better interact with the world around them as they move. You can see this more creatively with enemies like the Reaper and the Queen.
- Text-to-speech (TTS): This model was first used in the finale where the game’s narrator used this method. This is a text-to-speech program that generates dialogue for the ping system, calling out all items, areas, and hazards in the area. This work was in no way “stolen”. Instead, contracted voice actors can contribute their voices to the system and use their voices for new items and quests.
- enemy AI: Enemies in the game are also programmed using machine learning. I call this true AI because the enemy learns to kill other raiders. It’s something that all developers have been working on for years to provide players with engaging combat from other non-player threats.
One final note: Embark Studios does not use any form of generative AI. They have stated this and continue to promise to do so.
So what’s the big problem gamers have with this? Well, it’s the voice acting.
During my review of ARC Raiders, I didn’t even comment on this because I wasn’t really concerned about it. I noticed that some of the dialogue was incorrect, but I never thought that the problem was with the AI. In reaching my conclusion, I focused on the core elements of gameplay.
Gamers are taking issue with the precedent this sets. If actors are paid upfront for their work and don’t have to go back to create more vocal lines, doesn’t this take away jobs from them and others in the industry? Well, it depends.
We don’t know the details of the deal, but we’ve reached out to Embark Studios for comment on the matter. I think gamers around the world would be happy with the news if these voice actors were paid for the voice lines used in-game, even if they didn’t need to be recorded.
The very idea that actors could be hurting other paid talent by taking these contracts, where profits could be much lower due to AI, is troubling in itself. However, without a contract, we can only guess at the details.
Something that enhances creativity, not a substitute.
As another raider I teamed up with in-game said, Embark uses AI to enhance creativity rather than completely replace it. By their own standards, they are not here to replace the human element with AI. Instead, we are looking to increase humanity’s ability to create more efficient methods.
At its core, humans have always sought this path. We have been hunter-gatherers since birth. Over time, we learned to farm and freed up resources to develop new technologies. Pottery was one of the first things we made as a result of that freedom.
The problem with AI is that it threatens creative outlets. Generative AI no longer needs to generate new ideas by consuming the work of others. Without human production, the AI has nothing other than itself to consume for its work.
When it comes to pottery, humans made pottery purely by hand, without any tools or aids. As we progressed, potter’s wheels, needles, ribs, bevel tools, molds, and hundreds of other tools were created to bring truly creative works to life. That means we’ve improved our tools to create the best forms you’ve ever seen.
While it is true that there are large companies that produce large quantities of ceramics that completely exceed the output of individual manufacturers, that does not mean that AI will automatically mean that large companies will produce slop.
I asked a question about X. What’s the difference between this and something like procedural generation?
Yes, I know there are differences, but at a basic level, procedural generation creates landscapes and terrain without complete human intervention. A human environment artist oversees the product to fine-tune this generation and refine the final product.
When AI is used to reduce the effort required to create audio lines and other forms of content, is this really a bad thing, as long as the initial creation and the final product are largely overseen by a living human? I don’t know the real answer to this, but it’s time to have the conversation.
Since AI is here to stay for the foreseeable future, now is the time to start a discussion about its ethical use. Banning the service completely is not a realistic option. Anyone who isn’t fully emotionally motivated will tell you that. It’s time to start talking about where and how AI can be used, instead of shouting “no” to everything.
By definition, humans are a species that constantly seeks to improve itself. Ethical use of AI can lead to great things, unless we use it to replace the creativity that defines us. Rather, use it in a way that only enhances your artistry.
Maybe I’m completely wrong and I’ll be criticized for it in the comments and on social media by people who feel completely different from me. Then again, it’s Main points This article in its entirety: I’m not here just because the game is popular. Not to shout from the rooftops that we are being sentenced to a sloppy life, but to start a discussion.
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