AI Dungeon: Open-Ended Gaming
How AI Is Being Used to Enhance Creativity in Gaming
In the AI Business Report, we’ve discussed a multitude of applications for artificial intelligence across numerous industries but have left the gaming world relatively unexplored, aside from our recent post on text-to-3D technology. However, after stumbling across AI Dungeon while browsing for interesting article topics, this is about to change.
In this article, we discuss how the AI-driven dungeons and dragons game works, as well as its ability to enhance creativity in gaming. So, grab your 10-sided die and your coffee–as AI Dungeon makes for an excellent coffee-break game–and keep reading.
What Is AI Dungeon?
Combining the power of the imagination with artificial intelligence, AI Dungeon is an online game that enables you to create endless text-based adventures using any scenario you choose. You can also play premade scenarios from other AI Dungeon users, wherein the initial AI prompt is already inputted, but it’s up to you as to what path the story follows.
Additionally, the text adventure game gives users the choice of different AI models based on the game mode you select–quick start, multiplayer, worlds, and voyage. These include ChatGPT (though this is still in testing) or Griffin, AI Dungeon’s own AI model that they describe as “interesting and unexpected.” Gameplay is significantly different depending on the model you choose and can be switched mid-game.
How Does AI Dungeon Work?
Presuming AI Dungeon’s own AI models work using a similar method to ChatGPT, it’s probable that their artificial intelligence models are trained on vast amounts of data. In this case, information relating to storytelling, world building, and gaming, such as fantasy, mystery, and sci-fi books. After interacting with players over several games, the AI models can use this information to generate cohesive open-ended stories based on the user input.
For example, when starting a regular “quick-start” game, users are asked to pick a setting–fantasy, mystery, zombies, apocalyptic, cyberpunk, and custom. After choosing custom, users are presented with the following text and an input box with a user interface (UI) similar to ChatGPT:
“Enter a prompt that describes who you are and the first couple sentences of where you start out. It's recommended that you switch to story mode to avoid unintended changes to your prompt. ex: 'You are a knight in the kingdom of Larion. You are hunting the evil dragon who has been terrorizing the kingdom. You enter the forest searching for the dragon and see'”
Players can then respond to this request in the input bar, which allows for four different types of input:
Story: What happens next?
See: What do you see?
Do: What do you do?
Say: What do you say?
Each type of input signals to the AI model a particular action that changes the course of the story and AI output. This allows the player to more easily guide both the story and AI model in their desired direction while adding varied gameplay. It also means that communication between players and the AI is clearer, reducing the chances of unnecessary tangents or loss of context.
More Than Just a Game
At first, AI Dungeon appears as nothing more than an entertaining game that uses fascinating technology. However, its ability to generate original open-ended stories that are coherent, well-structured, and interesting with content never before seen each time makes it an excellent tool for enhancing creativity. It goes without saying that you shouldn’t plagiarize the content generated by AI Dungeon, but it can be used to create an immersive experience for your own ideas.
If you were writing a book and encountered a serious bout of writers block, for example, you could recreate your book's world within AI Dungeon and immerse yourself in its environment. Perhaps this could give you the inspiration you need–imagine being able to have real-time conversations with your characters. (Although, this is something that could also be done with Character.ai.)
Is Character.ai the underdog of generative AI?
From a business perspective, AI Dungeon could also be used to create interactive employee training programs. By training the AI to understand your business processes, and saving these concepts in the model’s memory, you could allow employees to embark on fun adventures while learning how your business operates.
Thanks for reading.
If you enjoyed this article, please subscribe to receive email notifications whenever we post.
AI Business Report is brought to you by Californian development agency, Idea Maker.