Artificial Agency launches AI behaviour model for video games
Edmonton-based startup Artificial Agency has announced the alpha launch of its AI-powered behaviour engine.
The learning model, introduced last year, enables developers to incorporate runtime decision-making into various aspects of a game. This results in the creation of "living agents" that can respond to their environment, the player, and overall story developments.
"The promise of generative AI for video games has been well-documented, but the technology has often been pigeonholed as a solution for 3D asset or speech generation. As longtime AI researchers and avid gamers, we believe the true potential lies in generative behaviour to create brand new types of interactive, dynamic experiences," said Brian Tanner, CEO and co-founder of Artificial Agency.
The startup is developing this software with a staff formerly from Google DeepMind, elite AAA studios, and funding from Radical Ventures and Toyota Ventures.
The current version of the engine has been designed to support multiple agent archetypes. These include fully autonomous characters that can display emotion, learn from player actions, and personalise future interactions based on a player's game history. There are also non-embodied agents, referred to as game directors, who can monitor player progress and influence game narrative, offering assistance or challenges tailored to each player's experience.
Additional agents, along with more tutorials, are planned for future releases as Artificial Agency continues to develop the platform. The company has stated that community and client feedback will play a role in shaping new features over time.
This engine is being released to select studios as part of a pilot program, allowing game creators to build titles where characters, events, and unfolding stories can dynamically respond to players and their actions.
The launch comes as the broader video game industry continues to experience growth despite a downward trend in the overall media and entertainment sector.
According to PWC's "Perspectives from the Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2024–2028," industry revenues are projected to increase from USD $227 billion in 2023 to USD $312 billion in 2027.
Artificial Agency states that its technology is designed to support this expansion by empowering studios to develop adaptive and intelligent gameplay experiences.
The architecture allows developers to adapt, replace, or rewrite code within the engine to align with their creative vision or to integrate with existing development. The company says this flexibility will ensure efficient development experiences and the capability to build deeply complex behaviours from straightforward instructions.
"This new generation of agents will be transformative, bringing new levels of fun and playfulness not only to the gameplay itself but also to the process of designing and building new games," said Alex Kearney, co-founder of Artificial Agency. "For players, our engine will lead to games that adapt to your style of play and curate the experience to uniquely entertain you - whether it's creating new obstacles to up the ante, introducing new characters to change the narrative, or helping out when you get stuck. For developers, they'll now have the tools to pursue their wildest creative ambitions and create scenarios that have never before been possible."