Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere these days, and it is no surprise that it is being used in gaming. Game developers are using AI to make their games more immersive, responsive, and adaptive, while hardware manufacturers are using it to provide gamers with the best experience. Here are a few ways AI is being used in gaming today.

Making Non-player Characters Better

In the past, non-player characters (NPCs) were genetic characters who filled the gaming world and gave players instructions and important information when playing a game. AI has made it possible for developers to create NPCs who act as if they are being controlled by real human players.

They made decisions within the game governed by decision trees. Their characteristics and how they act can change the game drastically, making it more challenging or even more interactive depending on what the developer wants.

Impact of Your Decisions on the Game

Developers are also using AI to change how the game plays depending on your decisions. For example, a player who plays more aggressively might find it more challenging to defeat an NPC in a fight. Additionally, an NPC might interact with a player differently and even be more indifferent to them if they have stains on their clothes or are wearing certain items.

These cause-and-effect relationships make games more interesting and unpredictable, but they also make them more challenging. The latter is something a significant portion of gamers like.

AI-enhanced Upscaling

While many gamers have powerful gaming computers, some do not because they did not have the budget for it or chose to spend their money elsewhere like on their peripherals. The computers of the players in the latter group might have a hard time rendering the latest games at the highest frame rates and great fidelity, unless they have some help.

Upscaling and supersampling technologies have been around for some time, and they help improve frame rates, frame times, and visuals even on computers that might not have the best performance. These options have been available on Nvidia and AMD GPUs, and Intel is the latest to develop its own supersampling technology.

X Super Sampling (XeSS) is upscaling that is enhanced by AI and available on Intel Arc GPUs. It allows for more immersive gaming by ensuring better visuals. Intel is already working with game developers to ensure it works great in the latest games and has already worked with numerous people to improve the technology. The Lenovo Intel® Arc™ guide has a lot more information on this technology and Intel’s latest GPU so you can check it out for a detailed explanation.

Dynamic Game Difficulty

AI can manipulate a game’s difficulty depending on how fast or how well you are playing it. For example, an NPC in a combat game might be slightly faster if you are an excellent player to increase the difficulty.

While some may call it cheating, developers see it as a necessary addition to stop people from finishing a game too quickly.

AI is already being used in a big way in most modern games. As it matures, it will be capable of a lot more, and players can only wait to see how developers leverage it in the future.