Video Games for Artificial Intelligence Education

Organizer: Centre for Media, Communication and Information Research (ZeMKI), University of Bremen.
Conference: Beyond Play: The Transformative Power of Digital Gaming in a Deeply Mediatized Society, Bremen, September 30-October 2, 2024.
Paper: Video Games for AI Education.

1. VIDEO GAMES FOR AI EDUCATION
Piotr Siuda
Department of Game Studies and Digital Culture
Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, Poland
Financed by the Polish Ministry of Science under “Regionalna
Inicjatywa doskonałości” program.
BEYOND PLAY
THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF
DIGITAL GAMING IN A DEEPLY
MEDIATIZED SOCIETY
SEPTEMBER 30 – OCTOBER 2, 2024
BREMEN, GERMANY
THE CENTRE FOR MEDIA,
COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION
RESEARCH (ZEMKI)

2. CLASSICAL AI
Representing problems as states and finding
sequences of actions to solve them. E.g., the finite
state machine (FSM) (early 2000s).
Goal-oriented action planning (GOAP) or decision
trees. Hierarchical models of states that activate in
a specific sequence depending on the situation.
ALIEN: ISOLATION
(2014)

3. MACHINE LEARNING
Using algorithms to learn how to make “intelligent”
decisions through trial and error.
The use of deep learning, deep neural networks, as
well as the use of generative artificial intelligence.
Evolutionary algorithms vs. backpropagation.

4. OTHER AI USAGES
Generative models contribute to creating storylines,
dialogues, sounds, including character voices, and
artistic assets in various forms.
Procedural content generation and gathering player
data.
AI assists in game production, enhancing quality or
solving problems more efficiently than developers
could manually.
NO MAN’S SKY (2016)

6. TECHNOLOGICAL AND PROFIT DRIVEN
OBSTACLES FOR SUPER-AI IN GAMES
Plenty of “small” innovations:
“Sophie AI” in “Gran Turismo” (2022) and the drivatars in “Forza Horizon 5,”
which mimic player behavior and use it in competition with other players.
Ubisoft and NVIDIA are working on a dialogue generation project called NEO
NPC.
Technological and profit-oriented obstacles.
The use of large language models (LLMs) is widely discussed today, primarily due
to production challenges, limitations, and unclear legal circumstances.

7. EDUCATING AI THROUGH GAMES
Leveraging games’ educational potential for AI is practically
non-existent in the profit-driven part of the market.
AI is the part of the player’s experience where they interact with
it. They don’t need to understand it.
Fortunately...

8. VAUDEVILLE (2023)

9. AI DUNGEON (2019)

10. GALACTIC ARMS RACE
(2010)

11. SPY PARTY (2018)

12. MOUNT & BLADE II:
BANNERLORD (2022)

13. WHILE TRUE: LEARN()
(2018)

14. EDUCATION!
Numerous examples of non-commercial, independent games that experiment
with incorporating AI agents.
These can be used for educational purposes.
My aim: to highlight the significance of the independent experimental
gaming sector in educating about AI and fostering proper interaction with it.

15. piotrsiuda.com
[email protected]
[email protected]
Researchgate.net
Academia.edu
THANKS FOR LISTENING
Financed by the Polish Ministry of Science under “Regionalna
Inicjatywa doskonałości” program.