Why Virtual Reality Technology Has Been Waiting for Generative AI to Reach Its Potential

Virtual and augmented reality technology is constantly evolving, but its mechanics have remained fundamentally the same throughout the decades. However, the emergence of generative AI platforms, spearheaded by the success of ChatGPT, points to one of the most powerful complementary innovations to emerge for the likes of extended reality in a generation.

Generative AI and reality technology have the potential to change the way we interact with both real and digital environments, all from our phone screens. When working in tandem, these technologies can build expansive and immersive worlds that can feel more realistic than ever before.

The emergence of ChatGPT in recent months has brought generative artificial intelligence firmly into the limelight, and already users are actively using the software to generate high volumes of rich content based on just a series of brief prompts.

But how exactly could a partnership between generative AI and extended reality technologies work? Let’s take a deeper look into a relationship that could bring revolutionary change to how we consume entertainment and stay productive online:

How Generative AI Complements XR

Firstly, let’s remind ourselves of what generative AI really is. ChatGPT may be the most popular iteration of generative AI today, but the technology has been growing rapidly in recent years.

Generative AI allows users to rapidly generate content based on certain inputs. The content it’s capable of creating can include text, images, sounds, animations, 3D models, and plenty of other forms of data.

The way generative AI works is through the use of neural networks to understand patterns and structures within existing data. It’s through these studies of existing content that programs can generate something entirely new.

So what does this mean for extended reality? The implications can be massive for programs using reality technology–and particularly when it comes to use cases that involve sprawling digital environments.

Generative AI could feasibly herald a new era for gaming where new levels are limitless in a literal sense. In more general use, VR users would no longer be confined to maps when experiencing virtual worlds because AI would learn and understand the existing environments within a program to generate entirely new environments using existing prompts.

We’re already seeing use cases where generative AI is helping to enhance extended reality, with major firms adopting the technology to great effect.

Constructing New Worlds

While the emergence of generative AI has been punctuated by the generation of static artwork–which frequently appears to involve Pope Francis in unlikely attire or scenarios – developers have also been using the technology to generate fully interactive virtual reality worlds.

In an approach known as stable diffusion VR, artificial intelligence has the power to create virtual reality worlds on the fly. Stable diffusion VR could bring great cost benefits to the video game industry, with far faster game development and far less computational power required to load expansive maps from the start.

Popular video games like Minecraft already utilize generative AI to create new worlds in a random and unique manner for players to explore, while text-based game AI Dungeon has been developed almost entirely from an AI algorithm that creates new scenarios as a player progresses through the game.

One key benefit of stable diffusion AI is that it has the potential to herald a new era of more personalized and customizable XR experiences for players. This could have great ramifications for creating bespoke difficulty levels for video games to ensure engagement remains as strong as possible. And, of course, continuous innovation within the internet industry and 5G is only going to enable more opportunities for XR.

Empowering VR Creators

Crucially, generative AI is also being utilized by platforms like Roblox is empowering more creators to build their own in-game environments, despite a lack of experience in 3D modeling.

Roblox is attempting to ramp up its content creation services by augmenting its Roblox Studio. This will make it far more simple for creators to build more immersive experiences, with far more of the game’s players capable of becoming creators themselves.

This move will aid creators in overcoming potential skill gaps to create fully functioning worlds with generative AI picking up the slack.

Building into the Future of Reality with AI

Naturally, there may be many concerns with the future of generative AI within reality technology. Should the future see the implementation of generative AI as a tool for creating new levels and environments for virtual reality worlds, the health implications for such prolonged exposure – particularly for younger players – could call for new guidelines on healthy playing time.

However, as the question of the metaverse and its prospective implementation remains, it may be that generative AI plays a significant role in the technology’s eventual emergence.

Not only could generative AI become a key building block for developing VR worlds, but it could even power and manage them to alter and evolve environments based on the trends and behavior of its users. Whether a program is prompted to maintain a VR world akin to Earth’s geological makeup and weather events or to build a terrain that’s subject to more wild and unlikely conditions over time, much is possible with generative AI at the wheel.

Although reality technology has been maturing for some years now, the emergence of generative AI is likely to be a watershed moment in the development of the industry. In rendering entirely new environments and the features that populate them, XR and generative AI is likely to form a formidable partnership for the future of the industry.