A recent AI NPC demo showcased by Nvidia and Convai has sparked conversations about the potential of fully AI-driven non-player characters (NPCs) in video games. While the demo had obvious limitations, it demonstrated an early glimpse of how AI NPCs could interact with players and offer unique experiences.
During the demo, AI NPCs engaged with the tech press, displaying conversational abilities and even sharing their favorite Batman actor. This experimentation with AI avatars using Nvidia’s Avatar Cloud Engine (ACE) has attracted the attention of major publishers like NetEase, Tencent, and Ubisoft, who are interested in incorporating AI NPCs into their games.
However, the AI NPCs showcased in the demo were not without their flaws. The animations and speech appeared stilted and lacked individual character, resembling the awkward dialogue found in older games like The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. While the technology used in the demo is still in its early stages, advancements in AI models and voice cloning could potentially improve the NPCs’ naturalness and emotional range.
The scalability of Convai’s AI NPCs also poses a challenge. Currently, these systems rely heavily on cloud-based servers with powerful hardware, making it impractical for widespread usage on home desktops. Nvidia is exploring a hybrid system that combines on-device processing with cloud-based services to improve response times and reduce reliance on external servers.
Beyond gaming, Nvidia has other AI-enabled features in the works, such as DLSS 3.5 upscaling and a chatbot feature that assists users with computer-related inquiries. These advancements promise to enhance players’ experiences and provide valuable support.
While AI NPCs have the potential to revolutionize gaming by offering more nuanced interactions, there are still ethical implications to consider, particularly regarding the impact on video game writers and voice actors’ job opportunities. The development of AI NPCs and their integration into games will need to address these concerns and ensure that human creativity and talent are not replaced but rather augmented by AI technology.
The source of the article is from the blog regiozottegem.be