Playing With Inference

Ep 30: Using game jams to spur innovation with GenAI and Games (AUDIO ONLY)

Welcome to 'Playing with Inference,' where we explore the intersection of AI and gaming. In this episode, hosts delve into AI's role in game jams and hackathons, featuring guests Remi Kaito and Gabrielle Duciel, co-founders of Arcade.ai.  They discuss their experiences with winning game AI hackathons, including Supercell's global contest, and how they're enabling anyone to create games effortlessly on the web with Arcade.ai. Discover Remi's early entrepreneurial journey in the Minecraft community and Gabrielle's technical insights, as they share valuable tips for hackathons and the cutting-edge technology behind their platform. Don't miss this fascinating conversation about transforming game development with AI. New episodes of Playing With Inference go up every Tuesday. Join our discord: https://buff.ly/1snI95H 00:00 Introduction to AI in Game Jams and Hackathons 00:16 Meet the Founders: Remi Keto and Gabrielle Dusel 00:56 Remi's Journey: From Minecraft to AI Startups 02:16 Gabrielle's Classical Path to CTO 03:41 Remi's Hackathon Success Stories 04:15 Innovative Game Concepts and AI Integration 08:31 Technical Challenges and Solutions in AI Game Development 13:43 Future of AI in Gaming and Industry Insights 20:44 Hackathons: Strategies, Experiences, and Advice 29:38 The Essence of Hackathons: Ideas Over Tech 30:22 Startup Weekend: A Decade-Old Experience 30:56 Different Approaches to HackathonsU 31:37 Meeting New People at Hackathons 31:54 Introducing Arcade AI 32:26 Arcade AI: Vision and Current Progress 33:04 User Experience and Accessibility in Arcade AI 34:36 The Dual User Base of Arcade AI 41:41 Challenges and Strategies in Game Creation Platforms 44:18 Technological Foundations of Arcade AI 45:50 The Importance of UX in Game Development 53:16 Contextual Tools and AI Integration 55:18 Closing Remarks and Future Prospects Tags: #podcast #artificialintelligence #gaming #techtrends #futureofgaming #AIinnovation #gamingpodcast #machinelearning #techpodcast #animation #genAI

Ep 29: Exploring AI-Powered Creativity in Games with Liminal Experiences (AUDIO ONLY)

Join the 'Playing with Inference' podcast as hosts dive into the intersection of creativity in games and the role of AI, featuring guests Brendan Mulligan and Dave Lieberman, co-founders of Liminal Experiences. They discuss the development of 'Liminal Skies,' a game allowing players to design AI-powered characters. Brendan and Dave share their backgrounds at Riot Games and startups, and explore the ideas behind their creative AI storytelling platform.  The episode delves into the balance between narrative storytelling and simulation, the potential of generative AI in game development, and the future trends in the gaming industry. Don't miss this insightful discussion on the innovative approaches of Liminal Experiences to bringing creativity and AI together in gaming. New episodes of Playing With Inference go up every Tuesday. Join our discord: https://buff.ly/1snI95H 00:00 Episode Intro 00:15 Meet the Founders of Liminal Experiences 01:05 Exploring Liminal Skies 01:33 The Role of AI in Creativity 04:03 Balancing Realism and Creativity 07:02 AI's Impact on Gameplay 12:48 The Future of Game Development 20:44 Episodic Storytelling in Games 30:58 Session-Based Gaming and Industry Trends 33:53 The Challenge of Competing with Past and Future Games 34:18 Lessons from Other Mediums: Music, Film, and Text 34:55 The Smiling Curve and Industry Trends 37:40 The Impact of AI on Game Development 42:29 The Role of Distribution and Platforms 45:06 Creators and the Future of Game Storytelling 57:49 The Journey of Liminal and AI Integration 01:09:48 Conclusion and Future Prospects Tags: #podcast #artificialintelligence #gaming #techtrends #futureofgaming #AIinnovation #gamingpodcast #machinelearning #techpodcast #animation #genAI

Ep 28: Exploring the allure and challenges of the LLM game master (AUDIO ONLY)

Join the 'Playing with Inference' podcast as we explore the intersection of generative AI and tabletop gaming. Today's episode revisits the digital translation and enhancement of RPG experiences through AI. Featuring Will and David, co-founders of Friends and Fables, the discussion dives into their journey from a simple Discord bot to a platform for AI-driven RPGs.  Discover how their system integrates persistent game state, dynamic world-building, and the challenges of balancing creativity with constraints. We also talk about the technical nuances of using different AI models and their approach to optimizing speed and costs. Whether you're a forever GM or a solo player, this episode sheds light on the future of AI in creating immersive, interactive gaming worlds. New episodes of Playing With Inference go up every Tuesday. Join our discord: https://buff.ly/1snI95H 00:00 Introduction to Playing With Inference 00:28 Meet the Founders of Friends and Fables 01:56 The Evolution of AI Game Masters 02:45 Challenges and Innovations in Game State Management 04:01 The Role of AI in Enhancing RPG Experiences 05:22 Balancing Constraints and Creativity 08:33 Player Engagement and Usage Patterns 11:00 World Building and Customization 19:36 Handling Truth and Consistency in AI-Driven Games 28:12 Challenges in Narration and Dialogue 29:02 Development Time and System Rewrites 29:54 Avoiding Repetition in Narratives 31:28 Guiding AI in Storytelling 33:58 Technological Approaches and Model Selection 40:18 Evaluating New Models 50:54 Game Design Inspirations and Solo RPGs 54:17 Conclusion and Contact Information Tags: #podcast #artificialintelligence #gaming #techtrends #futureofgaming #AIinnovation #gamingpodcast #machinelearning #techpodcast #animation #genAI

Ep 27: The Future of Game Engines and Creative Play with Nuno Leiria (AUDIO ONLY)

Welcome to 'Playing with Inference,' a podcast where we explore the intersection of AI and gaming. In this episode, we delve into the concept of playful creation with Nuno Leiria, founder of Nilo — a platform designed for creating games as easily as playing them.  With over 15 years of experience in the game development industry, Nuno has worked on titles like Fortnite and Fable, focusing particularly on game engines. He shares his journey, explaining how generative AI is transforming game development by making complex tasks easier and more enjoyable. Learn about Nilo’s innovative approach to combining AI-driven game creation with collaborative, browser-based technology and discover how players can become creators in an ecosystem designed for both solo and social play.  From the philosophy of fast feedback loops to the potential future of AI in game engines, this episode offers a comprehensive look at the cutting-edge methods driving the next generation of game development. New episodes of Playing With Inference go up every Tuesday. Join our discord: https://buff.ly/1snI95H 00:00 Introduction to Playful Creation 00:54 Nuno Leiria's Journey in Game Developmentt 02:37 The Frustrations and Solutions in Game Creation 03:02 Generative AI and Its Impact on Game Development 03:29 The Concept of Playful Creation 04:13 Building and Sharing on Nilo 05:41 Designing Nilo: Fast Feedback Loops and Browser-Based Collaboration 09:04 Innovative UI and Game Design Principles 19:32 Generative AI Models in Nilo 21:34 Challenges and Limitations of Generative AI 24:32 AI Model for Real-Time 3D Creation 25:28 Iterative Creation and User Feedback 26:33 Challenges and Hopes for AI Models 27:23 Unified Rigging and Creature Creation 27:52 The Future of Game Development 31:14 Aspiring Builders and User Demographics 33:17 Browser vs. Native Apps for Games 40:57 Social 3D Creation and Low Friction Play 47:22 The Importance of Small Social Networks 51:59 Nilo's Development and Future Plans Tags: #podcast #artificialintelligence #gaming #techtrends #futureofgaming #AIinnovation #gamingpodcast #machinelearning #techpodcast #animation #genAI

Ep 26: Games, AI, and Agents to Amplify QA Testing with Jan Schnyder (AUDIO ONLY)

In this episode of 'Playing with Inference,' hosts discuss AI-powered QA and agent-based QA testing in gaming with Jan Schnyder, co-founder and CEO of Nunu AI. Jan shares insights on how Nunu AI is building advanced AI agents to play and test games, the complexities of automated game testing, and the future of AI in QA.  The conversation also explores the intersection of robotics, game development, and artificial intelligence, along with the challenges of replicating human-like testing behaviors and understanding game intent. Join us for a deep dive into the cutting-edge technologies shaping the future of game quality assurance. New episodes of Playing With Inference go up every Tuesday. Join our discord: https://buff.ly/1snI95H 00:00 Introduction to AI and Games 00:10 Meet Jans Schnyder: Co-founder of Nunu AI 01:51 The Intersection of Robotics and AI in Gaming 02:16 Challenges and Innovations in Game Testing 08:47 The Role of QA in Game Development 13:30 AI's Impact on QA and Game Development 17:13 Future of AI in Game Testing 24:19 Exploring AI's Capabilities in Game Testing 32:56 The Challenge of Evaluating Game Fun with AI 33:35 AI's Role in Game Testing and Data Science 35:03 The Importance of Context in AI Decision Making 39:24 Speed vs. Intelligence Trade-offs in AI 40:58 Benchmarking AI Performance in Games 42:51 Exploring AI Native Games and Testing 48:23 The Future of AI in Game Development 53:12 Marketing and Public Perception of AI in Games 57:17 Generalization and Innovation in AI 01:00:06 Closing Thoughts and Future Prospects Tags: #podcast #artificialintelligence #gaming #techtrends #futureofgaming #AIinnovation #gamingpodcast #machinelearning #techpodcast #animation #genAI