An AI developer competition for games, convened by Square Enix and other organizations

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ai gamedev.jpeg
ai gamedev.jpeg

AI GameDev burst onto the European stage with its first edition as the first competition of its kind to focus on artificial intelligence research, particularly applied to video games.

The initiative arises from the joint call presented by Square Enix, publisher of games such as Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest and the classic Space Invaders; IT-Farm, a venture capital firm and Cyber ​​Valley, a research organization that brings together a large number of universities and companies that develop AI solutions.

New uses for AI in video games

AI GameDev is a competition for startups and professionals from the scientific world, whose work and developments could contribute to the generation of new artificial intelligence technologies dedicated to the entertainment and games industry.

“AI can help improve video games in many ways, for example by creating better and more realistic virtual environments or scenarios”said Michael J. Black, director of the Perception Systems department at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, part of Cyber ​​Valley. “We want to make visible the full potential of European AI research and the start-up scene and reward the best ideas”, point out part of their statements in the release launch of this call.

In addition to the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Cyber ​​Valley members include the University of Stuttgart, the University of Tübingen, the state of Baden-Württemberg, the Fraunhofer Society and seven industrial companies, in addition to the support of four foundations.

The presence of the video game development company Square Enix is ​​one of the most striking points of this initiative, at least for those who are closer to this world. During the last decades, prominent titles of this company have circulated under the Eidos and Taito brands, in addition to the namesake brand. “In the gaming realm, AI technologies hold great promise and could potentially lead to fundamental changes in game design”stated Youichiro Miyake, AI Principal Investigator at Square Enix Co., Ltd. “Combining AI technologies with game design is the key to the future of digital games. I hope that many young people and new companies will rise to this challenge »added.

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On behalf of the third partner of this event, IT-Farm Corporation, Shinya Kasuga, partner of the company commented that: “Games and interactive entertainment are the frontier markets for technologies that capture, shape, discover, enhance and represent the interaction between humans and the world. It is about the ‘world’. Automotive, smart cities, healthcare, manufacturing, agriculture, education, and many other large sectors are now leveraging gaming and entertainment technologies to innovate their core business. At the AI ​​GameDev contest, we are really excited to get together and support AI entrepreneurs who are tackling the world’s top challenges ».

On the official portal of AI GameDevThose interested in applying can submit their ideas before September 26, 2021 in the form of a simple presentation, as a video or through a scientific article.

The application process will officially begin on August 11, 2021. After that date, the ten best ideas will be selected to compete, which would have to be presented at a conceptual level by their creators in a ceremony to be held on December 2, 2021 , where the winners will also be awarded.

The awards will be three: yber Valley will honor the most promising scientific performance, IT-Farm will present the public award and the main award, sponsored by Square Enix, will go to the most innovative AI project and includes a trip to Tokyo, Japan.