The future of gaming: generative AI in Meta universe games

Meta plans to integrate generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies into virtual, augmented and mixed reality games in an effort to strengthen its meta-universe strategy. In the job advert, the company emphasises that it intends to explore and create "new consumer experiences" through AI, offering game mechanics that will change gameplay every time and follow "non-deterministic" paths. At the same time, Meta plans to develop or collaborate with other companies to create generative AI-based tools that can "improve workflow and reduce time to market" for games.

The focus will be on Horizon, Meta's family of meta-universe games, apps and resources. However, the company isn't ruling out expansion to "non-Meta" platforms such as smartphones and PCs. Meta's job listing notes that this field is just getting started, but already has the potential to create new experiences that seem impossible today. Innovation in this area has the potential to significantly impact the ecosystem by increasing efficiency and allowing for much more content to be created.

These new efforts are tied to the challenges faced by Reality Labs, the division of Meta responsible for meta-universe projects, including the Meta Quest headset. Although Meta has sold tens of millions of Quest units, attracting users to its Horizon mixed reality platform has proven difficult, with operating losses running into the billions of dollars. In response, Meta changed strategy, allowing third-party headset makers to licence some of Quest's features, such as hand and body tracking. At the same time, the company increased investment in meta-universe gaming projects due to CEO Mark Zuckerberg's personal interest in developing games for Quest headsets.

Meta has previously shown interest in using generative AI in the meta universe. In 2022, Zuckerberg unveiled a Builder Bot prototype that allowed users to create parts of virtual worlds by describing them with text prompts. Last year, Meta's CTO Andrew Bosworth described generative AI tools that could "level the playing field" when creating meta universe content, boosting the capabilities of both individual creators and small teams of developers.

Generative AI is slowly making its way into the gaming industry, with companies such as Inworld and Artificial Agency applying it to create more dynamic in-game dialogue and narratives. Various platforms are offering tools to generate game art assets and character voices using AI, which has some game creators worried about its future.

Earlier this year, Meta announced its intention to spend billions on generative AI development and formed a new team focused on generative AI products such as AI characters and AI adverts. However, Zuckerberg warned that it would take the company "years" to capitalise on these technologies, hinting at a long road ahead for Reality Labs to succeed.