Convai teams up with Unity on AI NPC games

Convai has teamed up with Unity to expand its AI-based non-player characters (NPCs) for games.

Convai is showing off various demos of games with AI NPCs at this year’s Game Developers Conference (GDC). These NPCs are smart enough to hold longer human-like conversations with players.

The NPCs tap generative AI via various large language models (LLMs).

At the heart of Convai’s showcase is its collaboration with Unity, a partnership that has yielded an AI-NPC powered game demo developed by Convai’s creative director, Sakura Rabbit. Leveraging Unity’s AI-powered platform, Convai augments its perception and action system for AI characters, setting a new standard for immersive gameplay experiences.

Purnendu Mukherjee, founder of Convai, said in a statement, “At GDC, we are thrilled to unveil the evolution of our AI NPC technology, with a host of new features and updates that drive game development forward,” said Mukherjee. “Our collaborations with industry leaders like Unity demonstrate the growing adoption of AI NPCs in games, paving the way for richer, more engaging experiences.”

Mukherjee will talk about AI advances in games at our GamesBeat Summit 2024 event on May 20-21 in Los Angeles. You can get 25% off with this discount code: gbs24dean25. 

Convai has joined forces with industry giants such as Frost Giant Studios, Linden Lab, and Carbonated to integrate AI NPCs into their games. These collaborations underscore the growing demand for AI-driven characters in gaming and virtual worlds, with Convai’s technology driving engagement and utility for end-users.

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The company has also introduced several heavily requested features aimed at addressing pain points and concerns within the gaming community. Features such as Convai Connect, Long-Term Character Memory, and Narrative Design empower developers with greater control over their AI characters while enhancing player immersion and personalization.

“We’re exploring the potential to leverage AI characters in Stormgate’s story campaign, and we’ve been impressed by Convai’s ability to drive free-form conversation with existing 3D models from our game,” said Tim Morten, CEO of Frost Giant Studios, in a statement.

“We’re excited to partner with Convai to bring its conversational AI into Second Life to add new and exciting engagement experiences to our community,” says Brad Oberwager, chairman of Linden Lab, in a statement. “This partnership is just the latest example of our ongoing commitment to innovation in virtual worlds as Second Life has been a pioneer and leader in the establishment of digital economies, cultures, and communities. These AI characters can not only ease the learning curve for new users by providing necessary information, but also help entertain and engage them by giving them a tour of the virtual world, carrying out different actions based on conversation, and connecting them with other players and characters.