The Google Stadia cloud gaming system promises to revolutionize the way that video gaming works. And Stadia Games & Entertainment boss Jade Raymond sees a future for Stadia in which AI literally changes the narratives involved in games.

AI head start

Of course, Google already has a big head start in artificial intelligence, having invested a good deal of resources in projects such as the infamous AlphaGo. And Raymond believes that this technology could be extremely useful in ensuring that the Google Stadia Experience is a unique one in the gaming universe.

Raymond believes that it will be possible to use AI technology to drive narrative within games in the very near future. “Imagine having that kind of AI powering NPCs in story-based games. Instead of having the usual quest-giver that repeats a static line of dialogue, imagine having Google Duplex-powered believable human interactions embedded in any game that has narrative,” Raymond told GamesIndustry.biz.

With massive multiplayer gaming environments becoming increasingly popular, it is obvious that this could be implemented in a very interesting way. However, it is also clear that delivering a narrative driven by artificial intelligence would be an extremely challenging proposition, and one that is not necessarily immediately on the horizon.

The system will also utilize AI in several other innovative and creative ways. For example, a Style Transfer feature included in Google Stadia uses machine learning in order to apply art styles to game worlds in real time. This can enable even the drabbest landscape to be transformed into a colorful and engaging game world.

Neural network

Google has also announced that its Gboard Service takes advantage of an on-device neural network, in order to achieve its speech recognition. While Google has yet to announce any Stadia functionality related to this feature, it would be a natural evolution in the future.

The mega-corporation certainly envisages an amalgamation between its AI and machine learning, cloud services, and the Stadia gaming environment, and it is a relationship that could completely change the way that games operate.

It is notable that the controller bundled with Google Stadia features a Google Assistant button, which will supposedly enables gamers to seek assistance from the increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence system. Again, this will pose a massive technical challenge for the corporation, and it remains to be seen how effective this advice will be. But the nature of machine learning means that the quality of this advice will certainly improve over time.

AI opposition

Another possible implementation of artificial intelligence on Google Stadia will be providing various levels of opposition for gamers. We have already seen AI master some video games, along with ballgames such as Go and chess, and it should be possible to provide online AI opposition, possibly serving the purpose of training for professional gamers.

Researchers in Harvard’s Department of Psychology have been researching human behavior in the video game environment, and comparing it to the way that AI programs develop. This is proving to be an excellent way to study intelligent behaviour, and it seems going forward that AI will play a major role in the Google Stadia project, as well as gaming in general.