(Credit: Google DeepMind)
New advancements from Google suggest AI-generated video games might become a reality faster than previously thought.
On Tuesday, the company’s DeepMind research lab introduced Genie 3, an AI program that goes beyond image or video generation by letting you create 3D interactive worlds based on a text prompt. DeepMind introduced an earlier version, Genie 2, in December. But at the time, it could only create 3D worlds at 360p resolution, and you could only play with it for 10 to 20 seconds.
In contrast, Genie 3 levels up the resolution to 720p. It can maintain visual consistency for a few minutes, letting the user navigate the 3D world for a longer time. The environment will also react to your actions. For example, you can paint a wall with a brush.
In addition, the user can also type in new prompts to change the 3D environment, or what’s called a “promptable event.” For instance, you can ask for a man wearing a chicken suit or a flying dragon to be added, and the program will do just that.
The result is a bit like a Star Trek holodeck, but within your PC. “We’re excited to see how Genie 3 can be used for next-generation gaming and entertainment,” Google’s DeepMind team adds in a video. “And that’s just the beginning.” Other applications could include using Genie 3 for education and to train workers, including robots.
The technology is especially impressive since it's able to create a huge diversity of fictional and real-world 3D environments while faithfully rendering the physics within them.
Google introduced the technology as other companies, including Microsoft, have been experimenting with using generative AI for video game creation. It’s clear generative AI could take character interactions and procedural generation in video games to new levels. But the topic has also become controversial since some fear any adoption of AI will lead to layoffs and dilute game quality.
In the meantime, Google’s DeepMind still needs to resolve certain limitations facing Genie 3. This includes maintaining the 3D world’s consistency beyond a few minutes and raising the visual quality. DeepMind itself notes: “Accurately modeling complex interactions between multiple independent agents in shared environments is still an ongoing research challenge.”
The research lab also didn’t mention the hardware needed to run Genie 3 or how long it needs to generate a 3D world.
For now, the technology remains in the testing phase. The DeepMind team has only given early access “to a small cohort of academics and creators,” it said in the announcement. But the goal is to expand the number of testers over time.