Xbox announces partnership with AI developer Inworld
Xbox and Inworld have announced a new partnership to develop a new AI toolset for multiplatform developers to use for narrative purposes.
The details:
- In a new article, Haiyan Zhang, Xbox's general manager of gaming AI, announced the partnership, stating that the main goal of the multi-year deal is to "build AI dialogue and narrative tools at scale" for use in story and quest design. According to Zhang, the toolset will include the following:
An AI design copilot that assists and empowers game designers to explore more creative ideas, turning prompts into detailed scripts, dialogue trees, quests, and more.
An AI character runtime engine that can be integrated into the game client, enabling entirely new narratives with dynamically generated stories, quests, and dialogue for players to experience.
Earlier this year, Inworld made headlines when a mod for Grand Theft Auto V that used its technology was allegedly removed by publisher Take-Two Interactive. The mod allowed players to walk around with a microphone and speak to NPCs, who would respond with AI-generated speech, creating an open-ended conversation.
AI remains a hot topic in the gaming industry, with some welcoming the technology as a tool to help with game development and others strongly opposing it due to the risk of it "replacing" human jobs. Situations such as The Finals using AI commentators have garnered attention, with many accusing developer Embark Studios of attempting to replace voice actors, whereas CD Projekt recreating the voice of a deceased actor using the tech was generally well received.
More gaming news:
The PS5 release of Ark: Survival Ascended has been delayed, with Studio Wildcard targeting a release by the end of the month. The Xbox version will still be released on November 14, with full crossplay support for PC players.
Cryptic Studios, the developer of the Neverwinter MMO, has announced layoffs as part of Embracer Group's ongoing restructuring plan. It is unknown how many employees were affected, but it has been confirmed that several senior-level developers were let go.