Many gaming companies are now looking to implement AI into their development processes and into games themselves. Microsoft has repeatedly noted that the proper use of AI in creating games can significantly reduce the production process in the future, as well as allow almost everyone to create their own games. Last year, Xbox announced a partnership with Inworld AI, a company that develops generative AI models for characters in games.
Inworld AI is not only collaborating with Microsoft. As part of GDC 2024, the publishing house Ubisoft showed a project that was created on the basis of Inworld AI – this is a prototype of Neo NPC. According to the project description, it will allow studios to create unique NPCs.
The idea is that players will be able to communicate with non-player characters by voice, rather than through predetermined text threads. In turn, the characters will formulate a response, trying to lead players to the game's story components. Also, from such an NPC by voice you can learn some information about the plot, the progress of the mission, the game world, and so on.
Ubisoft's Neo NPC technology works as follows:
The player's voice is processed and translated into text. Next, Inworld AI-based technology determines how the non-player character should react to the received message. The reaction text appears on the screen, and the NPC speaks the response in voice, using NVidia Audio2Face technology to create facial animation in real time.
At the moment, Ubisoft's Neo NPC is a prototype; the company is not yet ready to discuss when it will be used in real projects.