Guardian Gaming: Artificial intelligence and the future of gaming

Where will games be in 2025? Guardian games editor Keith Stuart led a fascinating discussion with experts in the field in an attempt to answer that question. The contributors (Michael Cook, Hannah Nicklin, Kerry Turner and Tom Betts) had healthily divergent viewpoints, with Nicklin interested in the sociopolitical ramifications of customised gaming environments whereas Cook seemed enamoured with the notion of a player fully identifying with one world as their own, as opposed to exploring trillions. Turner liked to imagine games without competition or specfic goals/levels, Betts was interested in how AI could change the nature of a game itself (surprising the creator), while Stuart enthused about the wow factor of a blue whale in virtual reality.

The talk was filled with stimulating concepts such as machine learning, computational creativity, feminist algorithms and the joys of www.cheapbotsdonequick.com, and ended with some startlingly intelligent children (robots?) asking astute questions. The one flaw was that the audience might have enjoyed some more questions and discussion for their buck, but the event overall hit a sweet spot between being both fun and intellectually enlivening.

Studio Theatre, Brighton Dome, 23 May 2016

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