Artificial Intelligence
Ongoing coverage on Artificial Intelligence.
Latest coverage
Meta is bringing more international news to its AI
Meta is enhancing its AI capabilities by forming new partnerships with international publishers, including Le Figaro, Prisa, and Süddeutsche Zeitung, alongside an expanded deal with News Corp. These agreements aim to improve Meta AI's ability to surface timely and accurate international news content by linking out to partner websites.
Embark CEO Says 'Some' Arc Raiders AI Voice Lines Were Re-Recorded by Humans Post-Launch: 'There Is a Quality Difference' - IGN
Embark Studios CEO Patrick Söderlund confirmed that some AI-generated voice lines in Arc Raiders have been replaced with human performances post-launch due to a noticeable quality difference. While AI is used as a production tool for testing, Söderlund emphasized that the studio does not aim to replace human actors and that many voice lines were originally recorded by humans who have been compensated.
Microsoft confirms Copilot AI is coming to Xbox, mere weeks after new CEO said gaming division would avoid ‘soulless slop’
Microsoft has confirmed that its Gaming Copilot AI will be integrated into Xbox consoles starting later this year, with a planned rollout in 2026. This announcement comes despite recent statements from new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma cautioning against "soulless AI slop" in gaming. Copilot is already available on Windows 11, mobile, and the ASUS ROG Ally.
Nothing updates its AI app with semantic search and a new way to track events
Nothing has updated its AI-powered Essential Space app with new features including semantic search and event tracking. The app can now recognize and display event details from images, and its search functionality understands the meaning behind queries, not just keywords. The update is available for Nothing and CMF phones from 2025-2026.
Googles Genie 3 draws a crowd at GDC
Google's Genie 3 AI model has garnered significant attention at GDC, though its primary purpose is not video game creation. The model represents a notable advancement in artificial intelligence capabilities.
"AI is not a shiny new feature," Xbox AI lead says, and "our games industry has been building AI systems for decades" from cheat detection to pathfinding
Xbox's general manager for gaming AI, Haiyan Zhang, stated that AI is not a new feature in the games industry, as systems for cheat detection and pathfinding have existed for decades. While acknowledging the increased scale and sophistication of current generative AI models, she emphasized that AI is not a replacement for human creativity.
Google’s Genie 3 draws a crowd at GDC
Google's Genie 3 was a notable presence at GDC, drawing significant attention. Separately, NEKOPARA Sekai Connect is set to launch on April 14 for iOS and Android, with a PC release via Steam planned for this fall.
Embark Studios head Patrick Söderlund explains how Arc Raiders was made on "a quarter of the budget" of a AAA title
Embark Studios CEO Patrick Söderlund explains how the company aims to achieve AAA quality with significantly smaller teams and budgets, challenging conventional development wisdom. He highlights the use of efficient pipelines, procedural generation, and AI as production tools, while also discussing the studio's approach to the extraction shooter genre with Arc Raiders and addressing industry-wide layoffs. Söderlund plans for Embark to have four games on the market within five years without drastically increasing headcount.
ByteDance will reportedly buy NVIDIA's latest AI chips to use outside of China
ByteDance is reportedly acquiring NVIDIA's latest AI chips, specifically the B200 processors, through a Malaysian firm called Aolani Cloud to bypass US export restrictions. The significant investment of over $2.5 billion aims to fuel AI research and development outside of China, as the country faces limitations in accessing advanced hardware due to US regulations.
Arc Raiders' old machine designs sound so diabolical, it's no wonder they were reworked or removed after poor playtest feedback: 'At that time, they didn't fit with the game very well'
Embark Studios' extraction shooter Arc Raiders underwent significant changes to its machine designs and AI due to poor playtest feedback. Production director Caio Braga discussed how enemies like Hornet, Sentinels, and Fireballs were reworked to be more understandable and balanced, with some original concepts being removed entirely because they did not fit the evolving game vision.
AI Yi-Yi!
Artificial intelligence is significantly impacting Saudi Arabia's burgeoning video games industry. The integration of AI technologies is poised to drive innovation and growth within the sector.
Xbox Gaming Copilot Coming to "Current-Generation Consoles" This Year
Microsoft announced that its AI assistant program, Copilot, will be coming to current-generation Xbox consoles later this year. Previously available on PC, mobile, and the ASUS ROG Ally, Copilot can assist players with in-game questions and tasks. Sony is also reportedly experimenting with similar AI-assist features for PlayStation.
Microsoft Is Bringing Gaming Copilot To Xbox Series This Year
Microsoft is bringing its AI-powered Gaming Copilot feature to Xbox Series X and S consoles later this year, according to project manager Sonali Yadav. The feature, already available on Windows and mobile, offers personalized coaching, in-game assistance, and recommendations. Microsoft Gaming CEO Asha Sharma also commented on the upcoming "Project Helix," the codename for their next-generation Xbox console.
Letter from the owner - our stance on generative AI
GamingOnLinux has formally stated its strict policy against using generative AI for news and guides, emphasizing a commitment to human-created content. The owner expresses a strong preference for authentic human interaction and creation over soulless bot-generated works, highlighting the challenges faced by smaller sites due to AI overviews and content scraping.
Samsung Galaxy S26 review: The smartphone status quo
The Samsung Galaxy S26 offers iterative upgrades over its predecessor, including a slightly larger screen, brighter display, increased battery capacity, and more base storage. While performance is strong with both Exynos and Snapdragon variants, the Exynos model shows slightly shorter battery life. The camera system sees minor improvements, and AI features are expanded, though some integrations like Perplexity are still in early stages.
Engadget Podcast: Apple's $599 MacBook Neo is astounding
The Engadget Podcast discusses Apple's new $599 MacBook Neo, highlighting its user experience and comparing it to Windows PCs. The hosts also cover the M4 iPad Air and M5 MacBook Pro models. Additionally, the episode touches on the state of electric vehicles and a lawsuit against Grammarly.
Overwatch Vet Jeff Kaplan On AI: "The Human Spirit Is Irreplaceable"
Game industry veteran Jeff Kaplan, formerly of Blizzard Entertainment and now leading the development of The Legend of California, shared his views on artificial intelligence in game development with Lex Fridman. Kaplan described current AI as "mostly a hot mess" but acknowledged its potential for handling tedious tasks, citing an example where ChatGPT resized 2,000 images for his studio Kintsugiyama. He emphasized that while AI can assist with mundane work, the "human spirit is irreplaceable" in creative endeavors.
Former Blizzard VP Jeff Kaplan likens AI scraping to "stealing," says "the human spirit is irreplaceable"
Former Blizzard vice president Jeff Kaplan shared his views on artificial intelligence in a podcast with Lex Fridman, likening AI data scraping to theft and emphasizing the irreplaceable nature of the human spirit in game development.
Garry's Mod Creator Compares Overusing AI In Coding To Watching Too Much Porn
Garry Newman, creator of Garry's Mod and founder of Facepunch Studios, shared his views on the use of artificial intelligence in game development, comparing overreliance on AI in coding to excessive porn consumption. He believes a 50/50 balance between AI tools and human creativity is crucial for developers to maintain critical thinking skills. Newman also touched upon the potential for a Rust film adaptation and the upcoming launch of Facepunch's new game-creation platform, s&box.
SAG-AFTRA issues "do not work" orders against Mega Man: Dual Override
SAG-AFTRA has issued a "do not work" order against Capcom's upcoming game, Mega Man: Dual Override, after voice actor Ben Diskin stated he would not return to the role without union contract protections. Diskin cited concerns over AI usage and Capcom's refusal to unionize the project, despite SAG-AFTRA's recent tentative agreement following an 11-month strike. This action advises union members against providing any services for the production, which is slated for a 2027 release.
