It’s hard to go anywhere these days without seeing the effects of AI. From Tech to content creation, AI has made an irreversible impact. This impact is keeping many people in the $200 billion dollar gaming industry both excited and a little concerned. 

Electronic games have for decades made immersive experiences possible for gamers. Now, AI technology is poised to transform these experiences in new ways and push what is possible in the gaming world. 

Imagine being in a virtual world and interacting with NPCs (non-player characters) that behave like intelligent beings. They watch your every move and change their behaviours based on yours. They also mimic and respond to each other just like people in the real world. 

To do this, algorithms powered by AI will analyse your gaming behaviour and adapt their movements and decisions to yours and each other. This means that each NPC character can get involved in the gaming experience in real-time. Because of this, game fans are eager to dive into the next generation of AI-powered games which will be a totally new gaming experience. 

AI can also improve a game’s playability and make it easier or harder for you as a gamer. By analysing your ability level and behaviours in the game, AI can help make the gaming experience better and more interactive. 

On the world-building side of things, there’s little AI can’t help with. From creating a more realistic physical space to reimagining fantasy concepts, storytelling, imagery, and the limits of a virtual world, AI will be key to game development in the world to come. All of this progress will lead to more advanced and flawless gaming technology that pushes the limits for gamers and developers. 

All this progress, when you really think about it, comes at a potential cost. Some of these costs include user privacy and the ability of AI to manipulate user experiences. Policymakers and game developers should look at the full picture to analyse the risks in case these algorithms grow a little too comfortable influencing our “experiences.”

As in most industries, the biggest danger AI poses is in the job market. This February, 200 quality assurance workers at Electronic Arts lost their jobs to more efficient AI testers. Other companies have also laid off their employees. 

Still, some experts say that we are far away from the days when AI can outdo human engineering and creativity in gaming. AI is far from being able to design an immersive game like Grand Theft Auto. To create these worlds and concepts, the human brain is still far superior. Let’s face it, AI still hasn’t mastered creative thought, something videogame designers and programmers need a lot of. 

Once technology advances, AI may someday make virtual worlds more realistic and help developers create new immersive spaces for eager gamers. But there’s no need to get too excited just yet. We are a long way away from a total AI takeover of the industry, and this may give game developers more time to make sure AI is working for them and not on its own.