AI-Powered NPCs: Revolutionizing Player Engagement and Storytelling in Gaming

**Joint pitch between two companies: NetEase Games & Inworld AI • The problem with NPCs: Despite significant upgrades in video game motion capture, graphics rendering, animation, and modeling, the tech that powers NPCs has remained stagnant. Governed by behavior trees and set patterns, NPC behavior and responses can eventually become predictable, which risks breaking player immersion. Generative AI changes that. • Unleashing AI NPCs: Discussing the technical capabilities of AI NPCs, detailing the AI models and machine learning techniques used to create realistic, adaptive NPCs that significantly enhance player engagement. Pros/cons of large language models like GPT-4 for video games. A look at generative AI games and mods that have gone viral like Skyrim, Bannerlord, or Inworld Origins. • Case Study: NetEase’s Cygnus Enterprises is an ARPG and management sim that PC Gamer says, “With tight pacing, great gunplay, satisfying character progression, and a killer soundtrack, Cygnus Enterprises is definitely worth checking out.”: Sharing a detailed technical case study of Cygnus Enterprises' success in implementing AI and AIGC technology in game development, including specific breakthroughs in AI models, training methods, and real-time processing. • AI-Driven Storytelling: A deep dive into how AI enables dynamic storytelling and dialogue generation in games, discussing the technical aspects such as natural language generation and reinforcement learning for dialogue and plot adaptation. • The Road Ahead: Exploring potential future advancements in AI and AIGC, including the use of more advanced AI models, the potential for more immersive game experiences, and the prospect of fully AI-driven games. This part of the session will also look at possible challenges and ethical considerations as technology evolves.