What Can Virtual Assistants Like Alexa Do for You
From voice assistants to self-driving cars, artificial intelligence (AI) has had a profound impact on every sphere of life.
Its ability to take care of mundane tasks, which allows us to be more productive, has been the hallmark of its success. One prominent aspect of the AI revolution has been a rise in the popularity of virtual voice assistants.
Be it Amazon’s Alexa or Google Home – the feasibility and convenience afforded by virtual assistants have been the driving force behind their success. Today, as many as 46% of Americans use digital voice assistants to interact with their smartphones and other such devices.
Virtual assistants are not only limited to home assistants; they have also branched out to affect other industries — for instance, gaming.
Gaming has always been associated with technological advancement; with high-resolution displays, powerful graphic cards, and increasing memory capacity on different devices.
While it seems only logical that virtual assistants would have an impact on the gaming industry, the extent of the changes they have brought about is truly surprising.
Where Can You Use Your Virtual Assistant?
Virtual assistants, as the name implies, serve to ‘assist’ you in automating tasks that would otherwise require human input, and effort.
These tasks can include anything; from logging in to Spotify to play music, to controlling your home’s thermostat. If you’re one for smart home devices, you can even control your microwave with these digital assistants!
Since virtual assistants are continuously connected to their cloud backup, updates and software patches are downloaded automatically – without any effort by us!
AI is not a new concept in the gaming industry – game developers have been using simpler forms of AI to improve gameplay for years.
Take the 1989 Sim City for example; basic AI was used to simulate realistic behaviors in the game – i.e., players could experience inherently human characteristics, like unpredictability.
Now, developers are working towards integrating virtual assistants into games. Take Destiny 2 for instance; the game is compatible with Alexa, which means that players can access certain game features without having to go through the on-screen menu.
Artificial Intelligence and How It Impacts the Future of Gaming
The next big shift in the gaming industry is focused on creating immersive gaming experiences for users – including virtual reality, high-definition graphics, and intuitive storylines.
One of the main uses of AI in gaming is based around the development of non-player characters (NPCs). To create a truly engaging experience, developers are heavily investing in NPCs to show human-level intelligence and characteristics.
As per Tim Sweeney, leading Unreal Engine Developer, gamers can now experience characters that move far more realistically – all because of AI, which is able to scan thousands of hours of footage to analyze how gamers move and interact, and then map it onto game characters.
AI is now at the core of all leading technology in the gaming industry, such as facial recognition and 5G gaming.
Take Prowler, a Cambridge-based startup, for example; the company managed to raise $1.95 million in seed investment from two leading capital venture firms. Their product? AI technology that enables natural in-game behavior, and superior decision making in NPCs.
How Gaming Assistants Can Help Maximize Gamer Experience
AI will continue to make waves in the gaming industry, challenging established notions, and leading the way to innovative technologies – such as gaming assistants.
Gaming assistants have the potential to streamline a major aspect of gaming – content creation, and content distribution. These gaming assistants can take over the entire recording and uploading process through a single voice command.
As the top 5 gaming content creators are also among the top 10 YouTubers in the world, with a total of 850 million viewers, virtual gaming assistants are sure to be an instant success.
With the latest AI algorithm, gaming assistants can learn different gaming styles, and the context in language. Advanced gaming assistants, like Fridai, are also equipped with a unique sponsorship finding feature. This allows gamers to focus on their gameplay, while the assistant continuously attempts to attract sponsorships on the basis of the gameplay, and social media engagement.
Gaming is a growing industry, with millions of gamers signing onto servers to play and socialize every day – in 2018, the industry amassed over $135 billion in worldwide revenue! With the use of AI in gaming technologies, this number is only expected to grow, leading to new experiences and developments which will change the industry as we know it.