AI has become one of the most hotly debated subjects in recent years. With the introduction of new publicly available AI tools such as ChatGPT and DALL-E, we are seeing more and more people become aware of just how powerful AI has become. But there are just two examples of a slice of what modern AI is capable of.

AI is being used in nearly every industry. The medical sciences use it to help detect various diseases and create cures. The business sector uses AI to try to predict market trends. Even politicians use AI to help create winning campaign strategies and to assess voter habits and trends. But one industry that has vastly benefited from the advancement of AI is the world of gaming.

AI In Classic Games

AI is not a new technology within the world of gaming. Video games have always kept up with AI technology. It is used both in the design process and as an active part of the game world. The NPCs you see in most RPGs are a good example of basic AI technology. They have been designed to function like a human and to respond to different inputs from the player.

Or we could look at chess. This is a perfect example of how AI was used to give players a worthy opponent. The Chess.com app is filled with a number of different AI opponents that have been designed to play at various skill levels. These opponents will respond to your moves, making assessments in the same way a human might.

And this same principle applies to the Real Time Strategy genre as well. One of my all time favorite games is Warcraft 3. And it is another great example of how AI was used to create amazing games. The AI opponents in RTS games are designed to stick to an overall strategy while also adapting to changes that occur during the match.

Modern AI In Gaming

All the examples above are still relevant today. But AI technology has improved a lot since these games were released. Modern RTS games now feature better AI opponents that can even engage in politics within the game, better simulating what it would be like playing against an actual human.

There are even some older games that continue to update their AI technology to ensure it is meeting today’s standard. With Minecraft’s 1.20 update, they introduced a few new mobs and also upgraded the AI of all the older mobs. This has made each world generated feel more real and alive. And, due to the increase in the intelligence of the hostile mobs, it is far more dangerous too.

One of the most interesting innovations we have seen lately is people creating NPCs in games that can respond to a player in the same way an AI chatbot does. These mods install an AI voice generator to the NPCs as well. The result is an NPC that can respond to a player’s questions and actions outside the normal parameters of the game’s design. So far we have only seen this done by independent modders. But we have no doubt that some big titles in the future, such as The Elder Scrolls 6, might include similar AI technologies.

The Game Creation Process

AI isn’t just being used to enhance the players’ experience. AI is a powerful tool for game makers too. Most gaming studios have used AI in some shape or form to help build their games. But modern AI is now making it easier, and cheaper, to create stunning triple-A titles.

AI art generators are a fantastic tool for budding game designers to create concept art. Any prompt can now, in an instant, be rendered into concept art for a designer to work off. There has been a lot of debate surrounding the ethics of using AI art bots for commercial purposes. But, for the sake of creating concept art, we believe it is ethical.

AI is also useful for creating 3D worlds within games. It can be tedious to have to populate a game’s landscape. Usually having to create and define different parameters for procedural generation. Or, even worse, having to create everything by hand. AI can be used to create entire worlds based on a more open set of parameters that don’t have to be so stringently defined. This saves game designers a lot of time and money. And allows them to create more dynamic worlds.

Games have to go through a rigorous testing process before they can be released to the public. An unfinished and untested game is doomed to failure. Usually, companies will hire people to do this testing. Getting them to play the game over and over again. Ensuring everything works as it should and to find bugs.

AI is now being used, alongside human testers, to speed up this process. AI can test a lot faster than a human and will be able to find bugs more efficiently. The game AI that does the testing will also be able to locate where the bugs are within the game’s code structure.

As we see climate change cause more and more destruction all around the world it can be quite scary to deal with the prospect of natural disasters robbing you of your home. One of the most destructive and most present natural disasters when it comes to losing your home is of course house fires. Thankfully you don’t need to live in fear of fires. Instead of worrying about the aftermath of a house fire are already looking into how to go about selling a fire damaged home you should look into all the new technological gadgets that can help you prevent house fires. So here are a few of them that might interest you to protect your home and your family.

Smart stove dials

The smart stove dials might seem like an unnecessary addition to your kitchenware but the reality is that these tools are a great way to not only know when your stove is on but some of them can even allow you to automatically turn them off after a certain period. If you are prone to forgetting things this can be an essential tool to prevent house fires. This can be a handy thing if you are dealing with memory loss from old age or distractions from things like ADHD. They can only alert you but also show you the status of your stove to make sure that you know if your surfaces are hot or not.

Environmental change sensors

These small sensors do a similar job to smoke detectors but they are more focused on prevention rather than detecting smoke. These small tools are often installed in kitchens or high-fire potential areas to detect changes in air composition or temperature. Some of them are even made to be connected directly to an appliance to make sure that the electricity supply is cut off when not in use. This can be a matter of life and death for people who are often on the go. With tools like these, there is no more leaving the oven on by accident. Like smoke detectors, this tool can be essential, especially in the kitchen.

Smart door closing mechanism

If you’ve done fire drills in school or at work you know that one of the most essential parts of dealing with the fire is cutting its air supply. The best way to prevent fires from spreading is by closing the windows in doors but sometimes when in a hurry there is no time to do such a thing. This is where automated door-closing mechanisms come into play. Often equipped with smoke detectors they can know when to close the doors to prevent fires from spreading inside of your home this can be essential if you want to prevent damage. Some of them are connected directly to the fire alarm so that they can shut up the moment that a fire is spotted.

Wi-Fi fire detection systems

Wi-Fi fire detection systems are a way to connect all your fire alarms so that if one detects a fire all fire alarms go off. This can be extremely important in big houses or apartment complexes. This prevents you from not being aware that a fire is going off especially if say one room is well-insulated and you cannot hear the alarm going off in there. It’s also a way to maximize the opportunity to save lives and minimize the risks of the fire going on longer than it needs to. This is an essential and perfect display of using technology as a way to better the technologies available to you to fireproof your own and prevent fire damage. Even if you live in a small home it can be essential to evidence since many people I’ve been known to sleep through fire alarms. So at the end of the day, this can be a matter of life and death.

Automatic outlet blocker

These tools are great for preventing electrocution and the spread of electrical fires. In case of a malfunction or a fire breaking out these outlet accessories are made to cut off the power to the appliances connected to entirely. This can not only reduce the risks of fires but it can also prevent fires from breaking out in the first place when an appliance or an electrical gadget starts malfunctioning. This can be an exceptional addition to large appliances that have been known to cause fires such as ovens and fridges. To some, this promotion might seem a bit excessive but it is a great way to have Peace of Mind. If need be you can place such accessories on all of your large appliances to prevent any possible risk from fires or damage caused to your own by a broken appliance. Considering that 1/5 of house fires are caused by electrical issues, these are good tools.