Sony is experimenting with turning PlayStation icons into AI-driven characters. Their latest venture involves Aloy from the popular Horizon Zero Dawn series. Aloy, a clone in a post-apocalyptic future who battles giant robotic animals and corrupted AI programs, is now being transformed into an AI chatbot that can interact with players during gameplay.
In a recently leaked demo, Sharwin Raghoebardajal, a software engineering director at Sony, was shown conversing with Aloy using various AI technologies. These include OpenAI’s Whisper machine learning model, GPT-4, and Llama 3. Although the demo was run on a PC, it reportedly can work on the PS5 as well.
Sony’s own Emotional Voice Synthesis (EVS) system generates Aloy’s voice, while their Mockingbird technology animates her lips. While technically impressive, the outcome has also been received as chilling and impersonal. The AI-driven Aloy’s lip movements appear unrefined, akin to a poorly dubbed movie.
“This is just a glimpse of what is possible,” said Raghoebardajal in the video, which has since been removed due to a copyright claim from a company representing Sony. The experiment has drawn criticism from some fans and game developers on social media.
Sony’s AI-driven PlayStation character experiments
Alanah Pearce, who previously worked on narrative at Sony Santa Monica, expressed her skepticism about Sony venturing into this realm. Similarly, Anna Megill, a writer for CD Projekt Red, voiced her concerns about the quality and implications of such an AI-driven NPC. Generative AI and large language model applications in gaming are not new concepts.
Companies have been exploring these technologies for years, although their practical uses in gaming remain somewhat speculative. There is an ongoing debate about the role AI could play in the future of gaming, with fears it could displace human creativity and labor. Many video game performers, including Ashly Burch, who voices Aloy, have been vocal about concerns over the usage of AI in gaming.
The fear is that companies might use AI to replicate performances without proper compensation or creative control for the original actors. This concern is underscored by Sony’s experiment with the AI-driven Aloy chatbot, hinting at a future in which AI-generated characters could dominate gameplay and player interaction. The future Sony envisions for its AI-driven characters is one where player engagement metrics like daily active users and session length could be boosted.
This contrasts characters crafted by human storytellers, potentially shifting the focus from narrative depth to algorithmic engagement. In essence, while AI technology offers intriguing possibilities for the gaming industry, it also raises fundamental questions about creativity, labor, and the overall direction of the medium. As the gaming industry undergoes significant changes, with many developers already integrating generative AI tools into their workflows, Sony’s experiments are likely to fuel further discussions on the role of AI in video games.
Image Credits: Photo by Nikita Kachanovsky on Unsplash
Noah Nguyen is a multi-talented developer who brings a unique perspective to his craft. Initially a creative writing professor, he turned to Dev work for the ability to work remotely. He now lives in Seattle, spending time hiking and drinking craft beer with his fiancee.
