Season 7, Episode 16: AI and video games (with Julian Togelius)

On this week's episode of the podcast, I am joined by Julian Togelius, a professor of computer science at NYU and director of the NYU Game Innovation Lab. We delve into how games serve as the perfect sandbox for AI development, the potential for generative tools to revolutionize production workflows, and how the future of play might involve infinite, procedurally generated worlds that adapt to every player's unique style. Among other things, we discuss:How AI researchers leverage the inherent fun and learning mechanisms within video game environmentsWhether the financial markets function as a complex game requiring the same reinforcement learning strategies used in digital playIf consumer backlash against AI-generated assets will ultimately give way to the promise of faster and more ambitious development cyclesWhat possibilities exist for truly open-ended games that utilize real-time world generation to create infinite, personalized player journeysHow the role of the game developer shifts toward system architecture and critical thinking as coding becomes increasingly automatedWhen and if world models will transition from impressive tech demos to foundational tools for interactive entertainmentThanks to the sponsors of this week’s episode of the Mobile Dev Memo podcast:⁠⁠⁠⁠INCRMNTAL⁠⁠⁠. True attribution measures incrementality, always on.Xsolla⁠. With the Xsolla Web Shop, you can create a direct storefront, cut fees down to as low as 5%, and keep players engaged with bundles, rewards, and analytics.⁠Branch⁠. Branch is an AI-powered MMP, connecting every paid, owned, and organic touchpoint so growth teams can see exactly where to put their dollars to bring users in the door and keep them coming backInterested in sponsoring the Mobile Dev Memo podcast? Contact Mobile Dev Memo advertising.