from comments will come Department
There continues to be polarization regarding all uses of artificial intelligence and machine learning. And, to be clear, I completely understand why this is so controversial. Every new technology that has the potential to be transformative is also disruptive, which causes fear. Even if there are other opinions on this issue, the fears are not completely unfounded. If that’s you, I get it.
First, we’d like to introduce you to the latest edition of the Techdirt podcast with both Mike and Karl. wonderful Discussion about the use of AI. I’ve listened to it twice now. That’s very good. And while I found myself arguing loudly with both of them at one point over the course of the podcast, even though neither of them could hear my rebuttal, it presented a grounded, often nuanced conversation, and we need more of that in this space.
Now, while this writer may be unconsciously trying to commit suicide in the comments section, let’s talk about the controversial demo of NVIDIA’s upcoming DLSS 5 technology. What DLSS 5 does is certainly new compared to previous versions of the technology, but what does it actually do? do not have What’s new is the introduction of AI and machine learning into the equation. DLSS 2 and 3 already had that in the form of pixel reconstruction and frame generation. However, DLSS 5 introduced something called “Neural Rendering.” It uses machine learning to change the appearance of lighting and details within the environment, and most importantly, the character rendering on the engine on top of the 2D image output. Here’s the video demo everyone was talking about.
The backlash against the video was widespread, immediate, and ferocious. There was a lot of discussion about changes in artistic intent, what the original developers were trying to portray when they created the game, and of course whether or not it would change industry employment. Below, I would like to discuss the main pillars of complaint that have been seen in many media outlets, and this backlash is believed to include death threats levied against NVIDIA employees. I really hope that we can all at least agree that threats of that nature are completely inappropriate and unreasonable.
This is what I have seen in the backlash and what I would like to say about it.
Get your fucking AI out of my game!
Probably not the most common backlash I’ve ever seen, but a very common one. And also stupid things. As mentioned above, the DLSS version already uses some version of AI and machine learning. It’s nothing new. What do you think? applied While it’s certainly new, it’s not the same as calling for AI to be completely removed from the video game industry.
And if it is Shake your fist at the clouds in the sky wherever you are. AI is a tool, and as I’ve said many times before, the conversations we need to have are: how Used in games, not in games if It is used. That’s because its use is almost a foregone conclusion, and whether its use is a net benefit or negative for the industry as a whole is an open question. While the dogmatic purist position on AI is understandable, it is also untenable. This road is too far to turn back and go home. And if this technology could lower the barrier to entry into the gaming industry and act as fertilizer for thousands of indie studios to put down roots, is it really that bad for the gaming ecosystem?
I understand the purist perspective. You really can. When it comes to games, I don’t know where they fit into the conversation.
It defeats the artistic intent.
is that so? If so, that’s terrible. But if not, this concern completely disappears.
DLSS 5 is built with options and customizable sliders for game developers. This is really, really important. At a macro level, developers who have decided to use DLSS 5, or who have decided and customized how DLSS 5 is used in their games. teeth Exercising consent for our products. That’s obvious.
But then you get into some really interesting questions about art, the actual artists, and ownership of that art. Because these last two are completely different things. Here’s an overview of Digital Foundry:
Other questions about consent and artistic integrity may also arise. Witnessing a working demo in the field, concerns about this didn’t seem to matter much when the game we saw had been approved by the studio that created it. There is nothing published in DLSS 5 released by Nvidia that has not been approved by the studios that own these games. But perhaps the problem lies not just with specific approvals by certain developers regarding the agreed-upon DLSS 5 integration, but with the whole concept of GPUs reinterpreting game visuals according to neural models that have their own ideas of what photorealism should be.
Backing has been confirmed from Bethesda’s Todd Howard and Capcom’s Jun Takeuchi, but to what extent does that agreement extend to the entire development team and other artists involved in the production? There’s also the question of whether now is the right time to launch DLSS 5 at a time when the gaming industry is under tremendous pressure, jobs are at stake, and cost-cutting is a major focus in the triple-A space. The technology itself would not work without the work of game creators. It requires a final game image for it to actually work. However, bearing in mind the response to generative AI elsewhere, it is difficult to overstate the extent to which it could be seen as an alarming sign of things to come.
It seems to me that this is a valid and interesting ethical issue when it comes to using this technology, but it is probably going too far. Individual artists working on video games are already showing their artistic work live at the request of contracted game developers. These developers can already use this game art in all sorts of ways that the individual artists may not have had in mind at the time of creation, or indeed considered such possibilities. DLSS 5 is one of those versions. The main difference is that the AI makes changes to the game image. While that is certainly an important consideration, there are parallels to this ethical issue that we all already accept. This is all the more shocking to me because the “all AI is always bad” crowd is trying to gain a foothold in something other than dogma.
Developers and publishers own their games. If you want to use DLSS 5 in these games, there is little to prevent you from implementing DLSS 5 other than hiring specific jobs or other contract provisions with individual artists. If an artist doesn’t like that, I totally understand that, but that’s what contract negotiations and language are for.
Bottom line: While I’ve been arguing for over a decade that video games are a form of art, I disagree that optional technology approved for buy-in from game developers and publishers is roughly equivalent to “nullifying artistic intent.”
The faces in these examples look like shit, become “sarcastic”, or suffer from the uncanny valley effect.
Now, let’s get to the question of opinion. I have to say that I had the opposite reaction when I actually saw the demo video. And yes, reading this means that I’m somehow a big fan of AI-created porn (this is where the pesky comments come in), or that I just want all the characters to look “sexy” (I’m too old for that kind of shit), or that my advanced age of 44 means I’ve lost any sense of what video games should look like. I sincerely respect the opposing views here, but let me say this. It’s bullshit.
The caveat to all of this is that the demo reveals very little about how this technology will work within these games. moving. It’s also true that NVIDIA chose the best images to showcase their new technology. If your DLSS 5 rendering sounds terrible in a large in-motion game, or if the images created by DLSS 5 are inconsistent throughout gameplay, or end up looking crap, I’ll be right there with a flashlight and a pitchfork.
And there’s another point to consider regarding this particular complaint, along with the aforementioned complaint about artistic intent. Does anyone use visual mods in-game? I do. There are many. There are various reasons. I’ve used these to change faces and models in games such as: star field and skyrimand many more. Should we feel bad for changing an artist’s intentions? Should we apologize for including mods that display characters and environments to better connect with the game we’re playing?
I won’t do it either. And I don’t expect that from you. Nor do we expect game developers who choose to use this optional technology to beg forgiveness for their output.
The hardware demands to do all this are very high.
Okay, that way you get what you want, and no one will be able to use this technology anyway. But I don’t think that’s the case. NVIDIA knows what it will take to run this technology once it leaves the demo stage and goes into production. The idea that they would hype technology that no one can use strikes me as highly unlikely.
Bottom line: everyone, take a breath.
This still gives the impression that the “all AI is bad” crowd is grasping at many other things to strengthen their backlash more than anything else. AI is full of potential pitfalls. Are you worried about getting a job in the gaming industry etc? Me too! But if you’re not also looking at the industry’s potential benefits, you’re engaging in dogmatism rather than conversation.
Is DLSS5 okay? I don’t know, and neither do you. Will DLSS 5 change previously released games in a way that fundamentally changes the way the game is played? I don’t know, and neither do you. Will it have a negative impact on the gaming industry in terms of the number of jobs within the gaming industry? I don’t know, and neither do you.
This was a technology demo. Details about how it will work have not yet been revealed. Most recently, there has been some clarification about the 2D rendering nature of this technology and what that means for on-screen output. As an early demonstration of the technology, feedback will be important as long as it is informed and reasonable.
This technology could end up being trash and hated for reasons other than “all AI is always bad.” Even if that happens, I believe the gaming market will resolve the issue on its own. But it seems to me that much of the discussion here is speculative at best.
Filed Under: AI, Developer, DLSS 5, Rendering, Video Games
Company: Nvidia
