I recently read a great post from The Verge on the impact of AI on the video gaming industry. Author Nick Statt made a great point about the evolution of AI in the industry.
Pratt pointed out that AI has been a factor in the video game industry since the very beginning. Some of the AI tools that we see today resemble those in the 1980 game Rogue. Of course, AI has improved dramatically over the last 40 years.
Becoming AI has talked in more detail about the role of AI in this competitive industry. They pointed out that the MiniMax Algorithm is changing the future of video gaming as we know it.
Almost any industry could theoretically benefit from machine learning technology. However, as Becoming Human author Daniel Jooryabi points out, the limiting factor is the amount of data available. It takes a lot of information to develop a machine learning algorithm that has any real value. Most industries don’t have enough data yet, but the video gaming industry is one that has troves of it to play with.
AI is Changing the Future of the Gaming Industry Forever
There are some technologies which have come along in the past which have had an impact on online gaming, but many of these effects are often short term, and short-lived. Artificial intelligence, commonly referred to as AI, is different in the sense that it can, will and is shaping online gaming and the future of the industry.
Artificial intelligence’s ability to change the online gaming industry for the better is more or less down to it having an impact in multiple areas, rather than just being able to excel at one thing. With so much data harvested in online gaming, you could suggest that AI and the industry are very much a match made in heaven, as Artificial Intelligence needs the information if it’s to work effectively.
AI can learn, and this is key. It can learn everything there is to know about online gaming, from how games should be played, to being experts on members who frequent platforms. This is god send when you think of the hundreds of games from sites like this, where online games are extremely popular with their members. The technology can then not only use its knowledge to provide a much more enjoyable and exciting experience, but one which is more secure and fairer too.
For example, the live chat box has become synonymous with online gaming. If a user has a problem, they type it into the text field to get their issue resolved. However, at present, most of these chat boxes use computerized agents who provide straightforward and often incorrect answers. Now that AI has been put to work, the live chat agents are not only smarter and more informed, but they will also know the customer too, providing a tailored and personal approach to customer service.
Artificial Intelligence also offers operators great insight into what players like and dislike, and this could apply to a specific range of games, a recently run promotion or a tournament. If the operator knows what’s working, and what isn’t, they can make the necessary changes to appease their customers. They’ll, therefore, be able to provide a better all-round experience, one which they’re continually improving on.
It goes without saying that in the past, there have been concerns over how fair and secure gaming platforms are. AI undoubtedly has the capabilities to have a positive effect on both, with anything untoward able to be rooted out with ease by the technology. Online gamblers will also need not worry about how secure their accounts are either, as AI has made a huge difference in banking. With AI knowing each person’s profile and behavior, any anomalies will be flagged up in an instant, allowing the operator to take the required measures to prevent loss of funds or data.
Lastly, Artificial Intelligence will also have a role to play for those who have or could develop a gaming problem. Gaming addiction is a big concern for operators in multiple countries, and rightfully so, and with AI onboard, behavior which suggests a problem could develop will be flagged up early enough so operators can intervene. Another huge advantage of what is indeed game changing technology.
AI Sets the Tone for the Gaming Industry in 2019
AI is the lifeblood of the gaming industry in 2019. There are a number of reasons that AI is changing the industry forever.