Artificial intelligence (AI) technology has made huge strides in the world of gaming since the famous match between world chess champion Garry Kasparov and IBM’s Deep Blue in 1997. Deep Blue was able to process hundreds of millions of moves per second, so it had a vast amount of data to outthink its opponent.
AI technology in gaming has since evolved far beyond that, offering a more dynamic experience for players. Unlike the static tech of the past, modern gaming AI can learn and adapt on its own. That means that AI no longer just reacts to situations in predictable ways, but adjusts its actions based on how players interact with the game.
Top Developers Highlight the Importance of The Human Touch
Generative AI is creating a buzz in the gaming industry. While it has clear potential, it is still far from being ready to fully replace the human touch and creativity. Republic of Ireland headquartered developers Keyword Studios recently conducted an experiment that confirms that assertion.
They tested over 400 AI tools in six months to see if the technology is smart enough to create a 2D video game through generative AI, and it produced mixed results. AI was able to help speed up some parts of the game development process, especially when handling repetitive tasks that often slow developers down. That allowed the human developers to focus more on the creative side of things, but the experiment also proved that AI is not capable of making a complete game by itself.
The experiment aligns with a larger debate in the gaming industry about the future of AI. Some people worry that AI may take away jobs, especially in creative fields such as game development. When Microsoft introduced its AI design tool last year, many developers expressed concerns that it could lead to more focus on producing a large quantity of games at the expense of quality.
However, supporters argue that AI should be seen as a tool that helps people do their jobs better, not as a replacement for human workers. Despite AI’s current limitations, its integration into game development has already had an incredible impact.
Keyword recently reported a 13 percent increase in revenue for 2023, with tech advancements and strategic partnerships playing a huge role in their growth. Their AI-powered post-production platform has proven to be a valuable tool, helping them streamline global production and work more efficiently.
AI Shows Plenty of Promise in The iGaming Sector
AI has also made significant inroads into the iGaming industry. One of the leading companies in the field, Evolution Gaming, uses AI to improve the overall gaming experience for players. The company supplies operators in numerous countries including Ireland, where it has helped to make them major players in the iGaming market.
Evolution is also responsible for developing games for online casino in Ireland operators, and AI tools have become central to helping them streamline development and improve gaming experience.
At a recent event in Malta, Todd Haushalter, Chief Product Officer of Evolution Gaming, discussed how AI is playing an increasingly important role in the industry. He revealed that Evolution’s team used the AI tool Midjourney to create around 80% of the artwork for a new slot game.
Midjourney is an AI program that generates images based on simple text descriptions, allowing developers to focus on polishing and fine-tuning the final product, which speeds up the process. AI is also being used to improve how people find games online through better Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and support enhanced security protocols.
AI tech will only improve, which will effectively mean more growth for the iGaming market. It offers endless possibilities for established gaming giants and smaller operators.
iGaming Industry Workers Fear AI Could Replace Them
The iGaming industry faces several challenges and uncertainties. The threat isn’t from competitors but from the same AI that has made game development seemingly easier.
Many workers in the industry are worried that as AI gets more advanced, their jobs could disappear overnight. AI is viewed as some sort of tech saviour by some executives, considering it has the potential to drastically change the entire process of game development.
Gaming giants such as Nvidia, EA Sports and Ubisoft are already investing heavily in AI tools that promise to speed up development and boost creativity. Workers fear that these tools will be used to cut costs rather than help artists be more creative. Another major concern is that AI-generated content may create more work for human employees.
Artists could end up spending their time fixing mistakes made by AI instead of creating new and exciting games. Smaller studios are also worried that AI could make it harder for them to compete as more and more games are made using the technology.
