Since ChatGPT came into the scene, generated AI has been a hot topic. It’s found its way into all sorts of spaces, specifically those concerning art and entertainment.
With the movie industry already at work trying to find guardrails for AI-generated content, it looks like Xbox is going to be embracing it when it comes to games, and it’s thanks to their AI, which they’ve revealed is called Muse.
Microsoft’s Generative AI Muse
While Generative AI has been used to create images or scripts, Microsoft’s Muse is primarily used for games. In the official announcement, Xbox discusses how they’ve been encouraging developers to use AI not to create final-product games but to facilitate game development.
The statement reads: “For Xbox, game creators will always be the center of our overall AI efforts. We believe there is space for traditional game development and future generative AI technologies that serve as an extension of creative work and offer novel experiences. As part of this, we have empowered creative leaders here at Xbox to decide on the use of generative AI.”
Though some are already skeptical about how this AI can be used for development, Microsoft has said that one of Muse's main focuses is to work out Backward Compatibility for older games.
AI-Generated Game Catalogs?
In a recent interview with the Dwarkesh Podcast (via VGC), Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella discussed how catalogs could later be filled with AI-generated games.
He says, “The cool thing is what I’m excited about is bringing… we’re going to have a catalog of games soon that we will start using these models, or we’re going to train these models to generate, and then start playing them.”
How are People Reacting
With so many people already reacting negatively to AI's use in other departments, Xbox’s announcement of Muse may not have received the best reception.
Besides Xbox having to unlist the video, it does look like it’s gathered mostly downvotes based on the comments and number of likes related to the number of views.
Online, people are also giving reactions like this:
On the other hand, some people think that negative reactions to AI are just reactionary. Microsoft, emphasizing that it has some specific safeguards for using Muse, should give an idea of how it wants to be used for development.
Then again, Microsoft's CEO, seemingly excited about a catalog full of AI-generated games, doesn’t look too promising for people who want AI to be strictly used as a tool and not a replacement for actual game developers and artists.
It’s too early to predict how Muse will affect the gaming industry, but many are wary of its future use.
Stay tuned for more updates on Generative AI and how they’ll affect the games industry.