Internet roasts Ubisoft’s NPC AI as “soulless”

Ubisoft just showcased a prototype of its generative AI NPC technology, and the internet is roasting it as a “soulless” development. 

The chase for realism in video games has been a driving force of innovation in the industry ever since the beginning. This is what led to Unreal Engine’s stunning graphic fidelity, or the creation of VR to better immerse ourselves in the world of games. 

Ubisoft’s idea for greater realism is what’s now led us to the company’s new generative AI NPC called Project NEO NPC. This technological advancement was showcased for the first time at GDC 2024 on March 19.

However, the idea of AI-generated NPCs hasn’t exactly gone over very well with most gamers on the internet. 

“So your games will be even more soulless? I thought that’s impossible,” a commenter wrote in response to Ubisoft’s tweet announcing the project. “They aren’t ‘really talking’ to you. You are setting up your game to be completely devoid of characters with any type of personality.” 

Others also decried the sidelining of writers with the new technology. “Nobody wants this except obsessive tech bros. How about paying writers to do something interesting and on-theme?” said one Twitter user. 

“Video games are a 200 billion dollar market. You can afford to pay writers and actors so there’s at least an ounce of art left in what is clearly just a money-grab product to you.” 

Despite the player concerns, it seems Ubisoft was already well aware of how controversial their AI NPC would be, or at least understanding that players wouldn’t take kindly to the idea. 

In their blog post delving into the project, the devs admitted that generative AI is a “hot topic of conversation in the video game industry”.

However, the Ubisoft devs say that NEO NPC is ultimately still a prototype and needs a lot of work, before it reaches the market in any capacity. Though in funding this research, they see a future where AI and storytelling can somehow live side by side.