From using computers to work faster to now teaching computers to work themselves, we’ve achieved quantum leaps when it comes to the possibilities of computer technology. Driving this new generation forward are the developments we’ve made with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.
Algorithms dictate processes, solve problems, perform calculations, and more. What Artificial Intelligence does is cut out the middle-man — us — for the most part with the help of Machine Learning. To simplify, Machine Learning creates algorithms that AI systems can use to process data and learn new things without having to be programmed. Detailed algorithms are now capable of learning on the fly and adapting to situations using big data and deep learning at almost instantaneous speeds. For instance, AI systems with Machine Learning capabilities can recognize faces, detect instances of fraud, predict customer behaviour, and much more.
The past decade has seen the most proliferation of this technology, with everything from social media platforms, OTT content providers to even matrimonial services employing some form of this technology. So, it’s only natural that online gaming, a multi-billion-dollar industry, had its interest piqued by its possibilities — and the possibilities are vast!
How are Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence improving gaming (and vice versa)?
Gaming and Artificial Intelligence is a match made in technology heaven. AI&ML helps with improving the in-game and product experience for the players by powering a more personalized experience. It also has applications in content marketing by helping create user journeys with increased efficiency, leading to a landscape where users have instant and reliable access to what they want, cutting through the clutter.
Advanced analytics can help the player analyse their gameplay, reflect on it, and develop new strategies. Real-time probability analysis helps the player calculate the odds of a win. The introduction of metrics like VPIP in online poker, which conveys the frequency of a player participating in a hand, has given gamers a quantitative and qualitative overview of their own as well as their opponents’ performances. Online gaming thus becomes more than just a click of a button and starts to feel just as real, if not more.
This is even more so true when you look at the back-end benefits of employing AI&ML. Fraud is heavily mitigated, thanks to technology capable of detecting anomalies in real-time. Customer experience is vastly improved as AI helps online games reach the right gamers far more easily. Player protection becomes much more rapid, allowing online platforms to help users play responsibly. Harnessing this technology can truly make online gaming a far safer experience for the player.
Another benefit is the cost-efficiency of the technology. As the technology becomes more prevalent, we see an improvement in several aspects of a gamer’s online journey. Things like online payments, security, and customer support become far more efficient and will steadily undergo transformation and improvements over the next few years. Chatbots are one such example where the user experience can be elevated by providing faster and efficient support to customers.
On the flip side, this surge in adopting this technology now witnesses rapid developments for the technology as well. In an industry where decisions are made in milliseconds, we need technology that can work in nanoseconds. So, we now see huge resources being dedicated to enabling just that. Industry giants sense the underlying possibilities and have specialized departments to focus on the improvement of these Artificial Intelligence algorithms. It wouldn’t be surprising to see generational leaps in the capabilities of AI as a whole. While they say it’s unnecessary to reinvent the wheel, as gamers, we’re inclined to try and make the wheel go faster!
Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author’s own.
