Ubisoft believes gen AI is as revolutionary as gaming's shift to 3D graphics

Ubisoft is going all-in on generative AI and will use the technology to build new games and experiences in a paradigm shift that hearkens back to the late 90s days of 3D gaming, company CEO Yves Guillemot confirms.

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In a recent earnings call, Ubisoft has confirmed that it will be using gen AI in future games and content. CEO Yves Guillemot is particularly evangelistic about gen AI, saying that all of Ubisoft's studios are using AI tools, and that gen AI is as transformational for the modern age of gaming as the monumental shift from console 2D sprites to 3D polygonal graphics in the late 90s.

"On the innovation side now, we are making great strides in applying gen AI to high-value use cases that bring tangible benefits to our players and teams. It's as big as a revolution on our industry as the shift to 3D, and we have everything to lead on this front," Guillemot said in the call.

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"On the player experience side, we are continuing to make progress on groundbreaking player-facing generative AI applications, building on our new NPC enhancements in 2024. We have already advanced from prototyping to player reality, and we are looking forward to sharing more at the end of the year."

"On the production side, we now have teams in all our studios and offices embracing this technology and constantly exploring new use cases in programming, art, and overall game quality."

Ubisoft uses gen AI in its new Project Neo NPC tech, which was established to make in-game characters feel more alive and realistic while reducing specific amounts of work required.

It's unclear exactly how Ubisoft will use its gen AI technology for future games outside of its innovative NPC tech, eg if the art is used for marketing and backgrounds versus player-facing content, but it could also tie into some sort of user-generated framework similar to EA's own use-case for the technology. EA created a chatbot that can make games on-the-fly, with users typing commands to change worldstates in real time.

Ubisoft's big $1.3 billion deal with Tencent also helps accelerate these efforts. The investment secures Tencent a 25% stake in Ubisoft's new subsidiary while enabling Ubisoft to pay back some of its debt along the way.