Me and You vs. AI - Abstract
Imagine you could speak to divinity through Artificial Intelligence.
Inspired by Hindu mythology and motifs, as well as the Hindu custom of scattering ashes of the deceased in the River Ganges, this project explores the gamification of communication with AI and humans.
It features a melancholic tale about two estranged siblings who embark on a journey to scatter their parent’s ashes in a river, only to be challenged by an embodiment of the river itself, a deity driven by AI, who has an agenda of her own.
In a world where faith and technology often clash, AI emerges as both an object of fascination, as well as a reflection of our society’s complexities. This research reimagines AI as a companion on the edge of deism and humanity. "Me and You versus AI" invites us to interact with AI, while scrutinizing its motives.
The project introduces a novel cooperative gaming experience where players interact with an AI character. This interaction is powered by advanced natural language processing (NLP), enabling real-time dialogue, and role-playing that embeds NLP deeply into the gameplay, not just for chatting but as a fundamental part of the game.
The game design is tested through a prototype developed using a complex game architecture featuring speech recognition, text and image generation, and speech synthesis, all working seamlessly in real time. The gameplay focuses on puzzles themed around relationship building techniques, and through the integration of AI, it adapts the puzzles to match the players' interests and intentions, making every playthrough unique and personalized.
The project also highlights the indispensable role of human developers in crafting interactive spaces, utilizing the judgment and analytical capabilities of NLP models to innovate human-AI interactions and even gamifying them.
This Master thesis project, "Me and You versus AI," is an experimental approach to game design, casting generative AI and NLP in the role of a mythological being—an "AI god"—guiding, mediating, and conversing with two players while controlling the game world around them.
