Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Games as an Expres

Uploaded on Sep 4, 2008

Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Games as an Expressive Medium
Michael Mateas [Professor of Computer Science, UC Santa Cruz]
Abstract:
Artificial intelligence methods open up new possibilities in game design, enabling the creation of believable characters with rich personalities and emotions, interactive story systems that incorporate player interaction into the construction of dynamic plots, and authoring systems that assist human designers in creating games. Games are fast becoming a major medium of the 21st century, being used for everything from education, to editorial news commentary, to expressing public policy and political opinions. Game AI research can radically expand the expressiveness of games, supporting them in becoming a mainstream medium for societal discourse. These ideas will be illustrated by looking at two projects: the interactive drama Fa?ade (released July 2005, downloadable from www.interactivestory.net) and current work on automated game design support.

Bio:
Michael Mateas' research in AI-based art and entertainment combines science, engineering and design into an integrated practice that pushes the boundaries of the conceivable and possible in games and other interactive art forms. He is currently a faculty member in the Computer Science department at UC Santa Cruz, where he helped launch UCSC's game design degree, the first such degree offered in the UC system. Prior to Santa Cruz, Michael was a faculty member at The Georgia Institute of Technology, where he held a joint appointment in the College of Computing and the School of Literature, Communication and Culture, and founded the Experimental Game Lab. With Andrew Stern, Michael released Fa?ade, the world's first AI-based interactive drama in July 2005. Fa?ade has received numerous awards, including top honors at the Slamdance independent game festival (co-located with the Sundance film festival). Michael's current research interests include game AI, particularly character and story AI, ambient intelligence supporting non-task-based social experiences, and dynamic game generation. Michael has presented papers and exhibited artwork internationally including SIGGRAPH, the New York Digital Salon, AAAI, CHI, the Game Developers Conference, ISEA, AIIDE, the Carnegie Museum, and Te PaPa, the national museum of New Zealand. Michael received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University. Prior to CMU, Michael worked at Intel Laboratories, where he co-founded the ethnographic research group that eventually became People and Practices Research, and Tektronix Laboratories, where he developed qualitative design methodologies and built advanced interface prototypes.