Artificial intelligence and video games: opportunities and threats

One of the fields that is being intensely transformed and evolved by artificial intelligence is the video games industry. This technology has not only greatly improved the game experience for players, but has also opened new horizons for game developers as well.

Artificial intelligence and transformation in video games

Artificial intelligence in the video games industry has been able to transform the video games industry in diverse and various forms. In what follows, specific examples of these effects are mentioned along with successful examples of its use.

Improving image quality: In this application, programmers with the help of artificial intelligence try to improve the quality of in-game image frames. One of the brilliant uses that took shape around this application was in the game Grand Theft Auto 5 (GTA 5). Developers have used deep learning and neural networks trained on datasets of high-resolution images to identify patterns and use the results to improve low-resolution textures.

Making NPCs more realistic: One of the most important effects of AI in video games is improving the realism and intelligence of in-game characters. Using advanced artificial intelligence algorithms, NPCs (non-player characters) can exhibit more human-like behaviors. These characters are able to react intelligently to the player's actions, make decisions, and even execute complex strategies that make the game experience more exciting and challenging for players. For example, the game Red Dead Redemption 2 uses artificial intelligence to simulate realistic NPC behaviors, which includes daily activities, reactions to the environment, and interactions with the player. According to a GamesIndustry.biz report, by 2023, about 85 percent of AAA video games have used artificial intelligence to improve NPC behavior.

Procedural content generation or PCG: This is a technique that is carried out to generate content procedurally with the help of artificial intelligence's learning capability. Using this method, game designers can create complex game worlds quickly and effectively while still maintaining a high level of variety and unpredictability. This use occurred in the game No Man's Sky. In this game you face an unlimited space universe that no matter how far you go you do not reach its end, yet the planets, plants, and animals have extraordinary variety. In fact this endless world is generated by specified algorithms and artificial intelligence, which makes the game experience unique for players.

Creative and flexible game complexity: Before the use of artificial intelligence, games had a specified and static difficulty level. With the help of this technology the capability is created for the game's difficulty to change based on the player's style of play, and we face a dynamic and flexible difficulty system for the game's difficulty level. This was a technique that the football game FIFA made use of. Based on this technique, the artificial intelligence of the opposing team that is controlled by AI has the ability to analyze and learn your actions (just like a real opponent) and designs variable and dynamic strategies. This capability fully conveys to the player the sense that they are playing against a real opponent.

Player behavior analysis: With the help of this application of artificial intelligence, video games can analyze the player's preferences and behavior and then improve their strategies and gameplay. The game PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) is an example that uses artificial intelligence to analyze players' behavior and analyzes players' preferences such as play styles, locations, and preferred weapons. This application can even lead to predicting player behavior. Some games such as Zynga, by analyzing player behavior, can predict when the player intends to leave the game, or which player is more likely to make an in-app purchase. Analyzing and predicting players' behavior gives makers extraordinary data for gameplay changes or dynamic marketing.

Cheat detection: One of the very common cases in online games is the use of cheating tools and hacks, as a result of which the player finds false progress in the game, or can have an advantage in competition with others. Online games usually use an anti-cheat software to prevent specified actions. But there always remains a way for cheaters to bypass the anti-cheat. However a dynamic anti-cheat is not limited to specified actions and can operate dynamically. The game League of Legends supports a dynamic anti-cheat that is supported by artificial intelligence so that by analyzing players' performance it can prevent the use of cheating.

Real-time translation: Artificial intelligence tools have a high capability for translating one language into another in real time. The game Minecraft, using artificial intelligence, has been able to create a capability whereby one player's language is translated in real time for the other player into their own language, and through this the process of the possibility of communication in multiple languages is provided for players.

Voice recognition: Artificial intelligence is also useful for voice recognition in the games industry. Machine-learning algorithms can, by analyzing and interpreting spoken words and phrases, facilitate interaction between players and the game through voice commands. One example of the use of this capability relates to the game Tom Clancy's EndWar. This game, by listening to the player's speech and interpreting the tone and content of the remarks, carries out in-game operations such as moving forces, fighting enemies, or issuing commands. Also the algorithms used in EndWar can remove background noise and other distracting factors.

Review of the artificial intelligence market in relation to video games

The global artificial intelligence market in video games in 2022 was worth 1.1 billion dollars and is forecast to reach 11.4 billion dollars by 2032; the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of this market is 26.8% from 2023 to 2032. By 2022 the action genre, relative to other genres, accounted for the largest size of artificial intelligence. This is because AI-equipped systems analyze players' skill level and adjust the game's difficulty accordingly.

North America in 2022 held the largest share of the artificial intelligence market, which is due to the early adoption of artificial intelligence technology and high demand for video games in this region. North America by 2020, with about a 42 percent market share of artificial intelligence in video games in 2020, was in the lead. It is expected that the Asia-Pacific region will show the highest CAGR, at 25.6 percent from 2022 to 2028.

Protests against artificial intelligence

With all the positive transformations that artificial intelligence has been able to bring to the video games arena, it must be known that views surrounding the use of artificial intelligence are not entirely positive. While some of the large companies associated with the video games industry such as EA believe that using artificial intelligence can facilitate the processes and speed of producing games, the president of Nintendo is opposed to using generative artificial intelligence in the production process. He has said: "In the games industry, AI-like technologies have long been used. Therefore I believe that making games and artificial intelligence have always had a close relationship with each other. Generative artificial intelligence, although it can be used in creative ways, may also create problems regarding intellectual property rights."

Recently, members of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) have gone on strike. This strike has been carried out because of the failure of negotiations to increase wages and protect the rights of actors and voice actors against the improper use of artificial intelligence. One of the axes they emphasize is opposition to the exploitative use of artificial intelligence. Large companies such as Activision, Electronic Arts, and Epic Games have been affected by this strike.

The story is that generative artificial intelligence, while it can facilitate the process and speed of game production, can create problems especially in the area of copyright and authors' rights and the loss of some jobs. Artificial intelligence models have been trained on extensive data and may generate content that closely resembles existing works, and this case can lead to a violation of the original author's intellectual property rights. Alongside that, the automation of tasks can lead to a reduced need for human labor, and this causes the disappearance of many jobs associated with the video game industry. Another case relates to the use of unauthorized digital versions. Companies can use artificial intelligence to create digital versions of actors' and voice actors' voice and image, without needing to obtain permission from them or pay them the necessary rights. This form of using artificial intelligence can, while violating actors' rights, destroy their jobs. This was exactly the axis that led to the strike by voice actors who are members of SAG-AFTRA.

Final word

Artificial intelligence (AI) in the video games industry is used not only as a tool for increasing the quality and experience of games, but also acts as a driving force for invention and innovation in this field. With significant advances in this field, the artificial intelligence market in the video games industry is also witnessing considerable growth, and it is expected to reach a value of 11.4 billion dollars by 2032. This growth not only increases the capabilities of games but also provides new experiences for players that are not only more engaging but also personalized.

However, given these developments, ethical challenges such as intellectual property rights and the impact of AI on employment in the games industry have received more attention. To manage these challenges, a comprehensive dialogue among developers, players, and regulatory bodies is essential so that it is ensured that advances are carried out responsibly and with all social and ethical aspects taken into account. This approach will not only help economic growth but will also increase transparency and accountability in the video games industry, in such a way that technological and ethical innovations proceed simultaneously.

 

Short link: nmfr.ir/7hq