OXM: How Xbox 720 could transform game AI

OXM UK: "As you'll know if you've read our latest issue's - dare we say it - masterful feature on artificial intelligence, when people talk AI they're usually focusing on some facet, led astray by casual marketing speak about "dynamic" worlds and "unpredictable" combat. AI is much bigger than that, embracing everything from soundtracks that dog your movements to cutaway killshot sequences, and if next generation consoles prove as powerful as rumoured, it could be bigger still."

[TENTONGUN]

i read a long time ago that video games will spawn the first intellegent a.i. who knows though

[RevXM]

Well I do not think Game AI will be able too be aware or able to detect anything outside of the game world.

As I see it "skynet" or some sort of assisting AI system will gain a "self consiousness" first.

I think that HIGH LEVEL AI Units be computers or robots at some point in the future should only be allowed if they are properly closed systems that arent able to wire or connect with other things.

And that configuration and extensive programming and updates should be done on that system or brought to it with offline storage mediums that later is cleared of all data, before its put back into a computer.
So some sort of HDD or discs would be ideal, a powerful magnet or offline system that automatically erases/overwrites multiple times will do. just to be sure the AI wont spread or do something funny somwhere else. a ROM storage device should work too(Read Only Memory) but I think it would be a waste of resources and money.

[AtomicGerbil]

@ TENTONGUN

I doubt that would be true, there are companies and scientific institutes out there, Honda being one of them that are working on human like AI in the field of robotics. I would like to assume that this is where the peak of AI technology will always be found.

As for videos games, I can only speculate that the extent of AI will always be developed to be good enough for the required situation. Not something we would recognise as true AI as portrayed in Hollywood movies.

[joab777]

Are the rumored consoles going to b more powerful than high end PC's are today? It does kinda sick that the tech is their but PC gamers have to wait for consoles to catch up so that its mainstream enough for developers to attempt something ground breaking, such as the storied AI.

I'm just wondering, but if next Gen consoles ask $800 for a system w specs that are similar to contemporary PC, why would anyone drop so much on a console. I am seriously considering the switch, unless Sony and Microsoft can convince me otherwise. What kind of PC could i get for the price of two next Gen consoles?

[DeadlyFire]

PC will always have the advantage. Consoles might get a jump on a PC for say 1-2 years with a higher thread count CPU. As I say though within 1-2 years CPUs for PC will be outshining anything on a console. Which in some ways on a console does allow for some new types of game development, but with a PC even with lower thread count CPUs they have ten times the power and already feature higher end Graphics cards by the time the next consoles get released. CPUs for example. Power7 will feature 4, 6, 8 cores with 4 SMT threads per core. Right now Intel and AMD both have 2 treads per core and highest count goes up to 12 cores and 24 threads. Planned for 2012/2013/2014 release I believe. As far as typical Single Desktop CPU goes. PC CPU is still more powerful.

Ray Tracing rumors I am uncertain about. Open RL could exist on PC and at least one of the next generation consoles. As Imagination Tech plans on possibly releasing a high end graphics card on the PC Desktop market with DirectX 11, OpenGL 4, OpenCL, and Open RL, and few other APIs in 2012.

[joab777]

Yeah so Ill wait til they are announced before making a decision, mainly because if I buy a PC, I want it to b close to the best I can get for the money I spend, but also to see if Microsoft or Sony have something up their sleeve. Next Gen will b interesting to see if most games are similar accross all platforms. I think their will b a clear winner this time, at least for hard core gamers.

[AtomicGerbil]

Is the nextbox going to be the pinnacle of processing technology? No. Then how could it possibly be at the forefront of AI advancement?

Another title fishing for hits.

[dirigiblebill]

Do you know a concrete thing about the next Xbox? No. Is AI sophistication purely a question of "processing technology"? No. Is there such a thing as a headline that doesn't "fish for hits"? No. Are you objecting to claims the article doesn't make? Yes. Do you have a chip on your shoulder? Yes.

[AtomicGerbil]

So, what exactly would you use to program an effective AI? A graphics chip, sound card, wi-fi adaptor etc.? Please enlighten me.

As for the title, the Xbox will not improve AI, that will be down to a developer unless the nextbox itself becomes self aware (Hope they don't call it the Skynet). Before you start screaming troll I should mention that I am predominantly a console gamer and yes, I would say exactly the same about the Playstation.

Yes, I am aware that the article doesn't make the claim that the title does, that's what my comment was based on.

Do I have a chip on my shoulder? No, I was merely making an educated observational comment. Clearly the fact you were offended by it suggests that the aforementioned chip could well be nestling on your own shoulder.

[dirigiblebill]

"Please enlighten me."

Happy to - if you want intelligent artificial intelligence, the safest approach is to hire intelligent designers. At base, AI is about modelling and responding to human behaviour. Roomier RAM buffers and the capacity to handle thousands of simultaneous calculations help, but that's all very much of a muchness if you don't know what makes people tick.

As regards the title - of course the implication isn't that the next Xbox will, in and of itself, spearhead the next generation of AI. Don't be so desperately literal-minded.

Would you like some salt on your fish and chips?

[AtomicGerbil]

It appears we have an agreement of sorts here, but what I don't understand is, why have you taken such offence to a comment that points out the absurdity of headlines and their lack of relation to the article, something which happens often on this site?

Yes, memory has a lot to do with AI but what does it take to crunch the numbers involved?

I'll take your salt and raise you the vinegar.

[camel_toad]

The first half-life started the whole a.i. imo. Id like for hl3 in 2021 to spawn the next great a.i.

[mayberry]

Killzone 2/3's A.I. was stellar imho! Better than all those multi-platform games the writer has listed as needing better A.I. The first game he mentions is COD! then games like BM:AA, AC, etc.. he needs to play some killzone single player or "botzone", then write an article about how A.I. is done right.