Meta intends to add generative AI to metaverse games

Meta wants to bring its metaverse strategy back to life by adding generative AI to VR, AR, and mixed-reality games. The company aims to enhance game design and reduce predictability.

As Meta tries to get its metaverse strategy back on track, it wants to add more generative AI technology to games, especially VR, AR, and mixed reality games.

Meta is seeking individuals to conduct research and develop innovative gaming experiences powered by generative AI. For example, they want to make games that “change every time you play them” and have “non-deterministic” paths.

In addition, the business aims to develop or collaborate with external developers and sellers to develop generative AI tools that could enhance the workflow and speed of game development.

Horizon, Meta’s family of metaverse games, apps, and creation tools, will be the main focus. However, also adds games and experiences for “non-Meta” platforms like PCs and smartphones.

“This is a new area, but it has the potential to create new experiences that aren’t even possible now,” the job posting says. “The new technology in this area could have a huge impact on the ecosystem because it should make things run more smoothly and allow for more content creation.”

Meta’s Reality Labs is in charge of the company’s many metaverse projects, including its Meta Quest headset, and is still looking for a big-hit product. This is the driving force behind the new efforts.

Tens of millions of Quest units have been sold by Meta. Still, it has needed help getting people to use its Horizon mixed reality platform, which has caused it to lose billions of dollars in business.

Meta recently changed its metaverse platform strategy so that other headset makers can license some of the Quest’s software-based features, such as tracking your hands and body.

At the same time, Meta has reportedly increased its investments in metaverse game projects because CEO Mark Zuckerberg has become more interested in making games for Quest headsets.

Meta has shown before that they are interested in generative AI metaverse experiences.

In 2022, Zuckerberg showed off a prototype called Builder Bot. It lets people build parts of virtual worlds by telling it what they want to do, such as “Let’s go to the beach.” In a blog post from last year, Andrew Bosworth, CTO of Meta and head of Reality Labs, discussed generative AI tools that could enhance the “fairness” of creating metaverse content.

The Rise of Generative AI in Gaming and Beyond

As Instagram made it possible for anyone to be a creator, these generative AI tools will do the same for everyone,” he wrote. “They will also make developers stronger by giving small teams the power of larger studios and speeding up innovation everywhere.”

Generative AI is starting to show up in video games. It is used by companies such as Disney-backed the World and Artificial Agency to make dialogue and stories in games more dynamic.

A lot of platforms now have tools that use AI to make art and voices for characters in games, which makes some game designers worry about their jobs.

Ahead of the year, Meta said it would spend billions on generative AI and create a new high-level team whose only job is to work on generative AI products like AI characters and ads.

In April, Zuckerberg said that the company would not make money from generative AI for “years.” This suggests that the investments will not quickly improve Reality Labs’ situation