Many of you may not remember it, but Meta announced a "metaverse" game back in 2023 called Horizon Worlds. The game is only playable with Meta's VR (virtual reality) headsets, like the Meta Quest 3. Anyway, the company's next update could include AI-powered NPCs.
"Likelike" NPCs coming soon
In the announcement, Meta confirmed that it's launching "fully-embodied conversational LLM NPCs" soon. This update is part of Meta Horizon's GenAI creator tools suite, which allows developers to create assets for Horizon Worlds games. According to Meta, these AI-powered NPCs allow for dynamic conversations by responding to voice inputs. If you've seen Gemini Live in action, it basically works on the same principle.
Of course, developers can also programme these NPCs to provide scripted performances. Meta has announced a "voice library" with scripted and non-scripted dialogue. The update also includes an expanded Creator Builder tool, which can be used to define an NPC's name, personality, and more. Furthermore, Meta plans to add "functionality that enables your characters to feel even more authentic" later this year.
Are AI-powered NPCs a good idea?
GenAI doesn't always provide accurate information, and its use could be abused, so it's hard to say if AI-powered NPCs are a good idea. For a video game, it could still be better if characters or NPCs are mostly scripted, as it would mean developers have more control over the game's system or narrative.
But what do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments on our Facebook page, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.
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