PlayStation’s recently filed patent for AI gaming ghosts is a worrying sign for the future. The takeover is already happening.
For those who missed it, PlayStation recently filed for a patent that’d allow AI to assist struggling players in games. The feature could see an AI “ghost” essentially take the player's controls temporarily, before highlighting where to look when a puzzle needs to be solved, or demonstrate the inputs required to complete a platforming segment. These are just two examples.
It's even believed that the ghost could fully assume control and complete full sections of a game for a player, based on the limited information we have from the patent.
Regardless of the intention though, I think this has worrying implications for the future of gaming, though many believe it’s just Sony covering its bases.
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Sometimes, a company patents something to simply prevent others from getting to it first. A good example comes from Warner Bros. which currently owns the patent to the Nemesis System found in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. Despite being an incredible gameplay mechanic, it hasn’t been used since and the patent, of course, prevents other companies from using it in their own games.
While I’d love to buy into the idea the same could be said for PlayStation’s new AI patent, I’m finding it hard to believe.
AI Is Inevitable
Rumours have been circulating for months about the PlayStation 6, and several have stated that the next-gen console will fully embrace AI in one way or another. It’s also been said that both the PlayStation 6 and next-gen Xbox are being delayed so both companies can explore the latest avenues in AI development.
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Following this new patent, it sounds like those rumours were correct, and it’s killed my interest in acquiring the next PlayStation whenever it plans on launching.
It’s bad enough when a game constantly yaps at you while you’re trying to progress. A good example is Atreus in God of War (2018). If you’re taking a little longer than usual to solve a puzzle, Kratos’ boy will give you some hints, and while sometimes I appreciated them, most of the time I was already in the process of solving said puzzle, yet the kid was still trying to give me hints.
This AI tool, on the other hand, will seemingly offer to take the controller away from you while it condescendingly shows you how to do something you probably already knew how to do, or at the very least could have figured out yourself. Now if you blitz through games without issue, you probably won’t come across this feature as much as, say, a younger player would, but its presence alone feels wrong.
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Games can be tough. As someone who loves a soulslike and replays the Dark Souls trilogy at least once a year, I understand that as well as anyone.
But is the reward of overcoming an obstacle or solving a challenging puzzle not the entire point of games? To be able to experiment with the mechanics and try some out-of-the-box thinking without the game calling you thick and telling you the answers? If this AI tool does see implementation, I fear that it’ll clash with the essence of games, defeating the point of them as a result. Even when I’m really stuck and there’s no other option than seeking help, I’d much rather jump online and get my answer from real, flesh-and-blood humans rather than a clanker.
PlayStation Exclusives Only
It's unknown whether this would only feature in PlayStation exclusives, as in games published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. I can’t imagine third-party developers/publishers would adopt this and it clearly only has legs on a case-by-case basis. Imagine trying to implement this into a soulslike.
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We also can't say whether gamers could toggle the AI ghost off completely or whether this patent will ever even come to fruition. Many patented ideas don't.
Regardless, if it does become the norm on PlayStation consoles, it could very well be the worst innovation ever pushed in gaming, and that’s before we know what other ways AI will be used in the next-generation of consoles.
AI is the biggest problem in gaming right now, but unfortunately, I can’t see it going anywhere anytime soon.
Topics: Features, PlayStation, PlayStation 5, Sony, Tech