Following the advanced NPC experiment Neo NPC showcased at GDC 2024, Ubisoft has now revealed its first playable research project utilizing Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), dubbed Teammates. The experiment explores how AI can be leveraged to deepen the player experience through real-time voice commands and enhanced dynamic interactions. Teammates demonstrates the capabilities of an in-game AI assistant named Jaspar, as well as AI-enhanced NPCs Pablo and Sofia, who dynamically accompany and support the player by generating real-time responses and actions based on the player's natural verbal instructions, reports The WP Times citing ubisoft.
The Teammates project is designed as a playable research experiment built around first-person shooter mechanics. Players assume the role of a resistance member in a dystopian future, tasked with infiltrating an enemy base to retrieve the final memories of five missing team members. The AI assistant Jaspar extends beyond basic functions: it can highlight enemies or objects, provide story and lore details, alter game settings on the fly, or even pause the game, all via simple vocal instructions. The underlying systems are capable of processing environmental information and contextual cues within the experiment, dynamically interpreting and adapting to the player's voice input and actions.
The same technology underpins the player’s two NPC squad members, Sofia and Pablo, who physically inhabit the game world. An introductory scenario highlights the core mechanic where the player must verbally direct the armed teammates to use environmental cover and issue specific instructions on who and how to attack, demonstrating how the player's voice defines the outcome of the engagement. Ubisoft directors, including Xavier Manzanares (Gameplay Gen AI), Virginie Mosser (Narrative Director), and Rémi Labory (Data & AI Director), emphasize that the goal is to create new, personalized experiences without replacing human creativity. Mosser explains that the AI is guided by "fences" established by the writers, allowing NPCs to improvise while strictly adhering to the lore and motivations given to them. The project has already been shared with several hundred players in a closed playtest to gather valuable feedback that will shape the future of the team's research.
Read about the life of Westminster and Pimlico district, London and the world. 24/7 news with fresh and useful updates on culture, business, technology and city life: German States Mandate "Porn Filters" Be Built Into Operating Systems
