In recent years, one of the biggest trends in the tech industry has been Artificial Intelligence (AI). There was a point of time when it was thought to be just a concept of science fiction, but now people know it's real and they’re finally understanding the impact it could have on their daily lives.
At the same time, the impact of gaming in the world grows every year too. It has spawned a variety of communities, subcultures and fandoms. From theatrical adaptations to celebrity endorsements, its impact is felt by people interested in pop culture everywhere.
Something many people might not be aware of though, is the fact that AI and gaming have been intertwined with each other for decades.
As people grow more concerned about how the things they love and enjoy will be changed by modern AI, there is also a need to ponder how it will affect gaming. And this author intends to do the very same.
Gaming And AI, Old Friends
In 1952, Alexander Douglas designed OXO, an interactive tic-tac-toe game, for his PhD at the University of Cambridge. The computer he utilised for the same was as big as an entire room.
OXO was the first video game in the world and what made it unique was that it could be played alone. The game was played between a real player and the computer.
With the topic of this feature still fresh in your mind, I’m sure you can already predict that OXO was utilising AI. Granted, it was very rudimentary when compared to what we have today, but it was still AI. It was a machine that adapted to player decisions and reacted in a way it thought was most appropriate.
People might not realise this, but AI has been a part of gaming for its entire lifespan. Even one of the most iconic vintage games in the world, Pong, used AI.
A Different Kind Of AI
As we just discussed, AI has always been at the core of gaming but what people might not realise is that it’s very different from the AI that has recently soared in popularity.
Most people today are familiar with AI chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini, and generative AI like OpenAI’s Dall-E and Stability AI’s Stable Diffusion.
This is why most people don’t know that a different kind of AI is used in the games they play every day.
Life Sim games like The Sims 4, fighting games like Tekken 8, RPGs like Persona 5 and even Soulsborne games like Elden Ring all utilise AI mechanics. If you’ve ever played a single-player video game, there’s a very good chance it utilised AI in some shape or form.
AI is used in many ways in video games, with its most well-known application being in the form of computer-driven players or enemies in action, racing or sports games.
Another game, No Man’s Sky has more than 18 quintillion planets for the player to explore. The game procedurally generates areas as the player traverses through the sheer vastness of space.
All of this goes to show that AI has been a part of the games we love for a lot longer than we thought. So why are people only now concerned about the impact of AI in games?
Modern AI In Games
I have explained that AI has always been a part of gaming, but this gives rise to a new question. How is modern AI different, and why are people worried about it? The answer lies like this newer AI.
Today, when people talk about AI, they are often referring to generative AI. Generative AI has always been controversial due to its grey nature when it comes to copyright laws.
Companies like OpenAI and Stability AI have also been called out for utilising art and media which they didn’t have permission to use, to train their AI models.
This is what gamers are also concerned about. The recent rise of generative AI has threatened the jobs of many artists and writers. AI carries with it the risk of ruining the authentic nature of games and causing unemployment across the industry. Additionally, it also opens up platforms that distribute the game to unexpected and reputation-damaging lawsuits.
Ethics Of AI In Gaming
AI has played a huge part in the world of gaming, and it will continue to do the same in the future as well. Something that needs to be understood is that generative AI isn’t an inherently wrong or evil concept. The problem is that its execution often comes at the expense of someone else’s intellectual property being used unfairly.
Valve’s popular game distribution platform Steam was also part of the AI conversation in 2023 because it was restricting the publication of several titles that utilised AI on its platform.
Afterwards, in January 2024, it made a statement that gave players an outline of its new AI policies. It stated that content will be screened to ensure that it isn’t illegal or infringing. This is to ensure that the use of AI in games remains fair and beneficial to all involved parties.
AI Is No More Than A Tool
AI is just like another tool in our belt. Using it properly can enhance and improve our experience but left unregulated, it has the potential of destroying the very foundation of innovation and creativity that games are built upon.
It will take time, but I believe that a sweet spot which balances human ingenuity with the efficiency of AI can be found. And when it is, we might find ourselves in a golden age of gaming.
(The author is a student of Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies, Delhi)