Not so long ago, AI was the ingredient many thought would bring
about a revolution in gaming. And then physics came along and
stole its thunder, leaving it to flounder. We look at what
today’s consoles can do to train games’ brains… There’s a bit of
a problem with AI. But it’s not some insurmountable scientific
barrier, and neither is it a technological constraint. Rather,
the problem is that it largely exists in the eye of the
beholder. While a complex physics engine produces easily
observable, predictable results – shove a pile of boxes and they
will topple, push a barrel down a hill and it will roll – AI is
much more of a mythical force, one that has less immediately
visible effects. That’s not to say that the line between
convincing, intelligent behaviour and blindly running into a
wall isn’t distinct – clearly, it is – but that it’s an
extremely thin line, breaking a binary boundary between ‘great’
and ‘awful’. So, how do you make sure you stay on the right side
of the divide? The key to making character