Microsoft’s announcement to propel artificial intelligence (AI) into the Xbox gaming ecosystem has sparked waves of protest. The intention is to innovate, but it is meeting with strong opposition.
The video game industry is in turmoil. Microsoft, committed to AI with OpenAI and DALL-E, wants to introduce AI into Xbox games. This decision has triggered a wave of protests among gamers and creators alike.
The rise of AI in video games: ambitions and resistance
Redmond is fully committed to the field of AI, covering everything from OpenAI to DALL-E. However, the announcement of a partnership with Inworld AIdesigned to provide Xbox developers with new AI-based tools, provoked strong reactions.
This collaboration is not limited to improving conventional game AIx. It proposes generative AI, driving developers, scriptwriters, voice actors and even gamers to exasperation, with many firmly opposed to this innovation.
Inworld AI promises, thanks to Microsoft, to bring Xbox:
- AI design co-pilot assists game creators in development more original concepts. It transforms instructions into in-depth scenarios, dialogues and quests.
- An execution engine for AI characters is can be integrated directly into games. It generates real-time narratives, stories and dialogues for players.
However, despite the promising rhetoric of creative emancipation, many developers immediately reject the idea of AI-created scenarios and quests. And this reluctance is amplified by recent waves of layoffs in the industry.
The Microsoft AI controversy
Creators, far from feeling supported by these new technologies, are often resistant to AI, considering that it could harm their field of work. This fear is shared by other creative industries. In Hollywood, major strikes have broken out, partly because of AI. Screenwriters recently ended their strike by adopting strict measures against AI scriptwriting. Actors, meanwhile, are fighting against the transfer of their image rights for reproduction by AI.
In video games, the absence of a global union complicates the situation. Although dubbers can go on strike, this action remains insufficient to counter the industry-wide adoption of AIand reactions must be managed on a studio-by-studio basis.
AI-based generative game technology is still in its infancy, and it’s doubtful that Inworld AI can produce anything convincing. It’s tempting to dream of an NPC powered by AI offering limitless interaction. However, this simplistic perspective overlooks other crucial aspects of game development.
At present, AI is like a wasteland where every industry is trying to find its place, often with the aim of substituting technology for human beings to reduce costs. Microsoft is making bold advances in AI. This can be seen in the errors of DALL-E and controversial AI-generated polls.