Everybody’s using AI these days and while it’s a divisive topic, some aren’t afraid to lean into it. Case in point, Ubisoft.
After being bullish on web3 and NFTs, Ubisoft is once again diving headfirst into a potentially controversial new venture.
The French publisher recently revealed its Ghostwriter AI, which it’s describing as a tool that it will use to create “first drafts of barks,” or basically, the sounds NPCs make in the game.
It can range from anything like enemy dialogue while fighting or conversations between NPCs, background noise, and common NPC phrases like the ever-so-iconic, “I used to be an adventurer like you, then I took an arrow in the knee,” from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
Ubisoft claims scriptwriters can use the Ghostwriter AI to generate different variations of specific interactions, which they will choose from and polish for use. In addition to this, the Ghostwriter will take note of every dialogue picked to evolve and to become “more effective and accurate.”
Ubisoft believes in the potential of Ghostwriter as a tool that will allow scriptwriters to focus on more important areas of game development like the main plot and other significant dialogue.
Unfortunately, the public reception to the announcement has ranged from sarcasm to condemnation. Some are also saying that the Ghostwriter AI will help Ubisoft make better games, albeit mockingly. But, it’s worth noting it’s technically wrong to call Ghsotwriter an AI. The way that Ubisoft described this tool is more akin to machine learning. It’s as if Ubisoft is trying to profit from the AI craze by “wowing” audiences by telling them that they’re using AI.
If so, it’s not the worst idea. You could argue that it’s better than jumping into the NFT bandwagon, and=, in any case, it remains to be seen if future Ubisoft titles will be better for it or worse.
Ubisoft currently has several games in development, some of which are coming out later this year. The biggest projects are Assassin’s Creed: Mirage and The Crew: Motorfest.
