AI will 'take VR out of the novelty phase', according to the Future of Cinema summit

'I think the next generation is an artificial character that responds and interacts appropriately based on what the player does'

(AFP/Getty)

Few would dissent from the idea that virtual reality is the future, in some way, shape or form, when it comes to visual entertainment, but so far the technology hasn't fully caught on.

Costly and cumbersome equipment is partly responsible for this, but so are the current technological limitations of VR - which is still in embryonic stages - often making its realities not quite real enough.

The introduction of artificial intelligence could change that, and it was on the minds of several speakers at the NAB Future of Cinema summit at the weekend.

“With VR, it feels like the experience isn’t enough. You want to leave your mark on the world and share your experience," Jacqueline Bosnjak, CEO of sound tech company Mach1 said, as per The Hollywood Reporter. "I think AI is going to allow us to do that."

Discussing her company's current experiments with using AI to drive narratives, she added: "Suddenly, you are the protagonist. I think this will take VR out of the novelty phase and into this place where you are in the metaverse.”

Kevin Bolan, immersive audio designer at Skywalker Sound, concurred that AI is central to the future of VR and gaming, and will overturn the scripted model.

“We have been talking about using AI in gaming, but it's more a simulated intelligence. If the player does something that's not in the list [of actions, it won’t properly respond],” he said.

“I think the next generation is an artificial character that responds and interacts appropriately based on what the player does. This will give us a chance to create interesting experiences.”