The modder Art From The Machine is currently testing a new project aimed at using ChatGPT to generate responses for the various NPCs inSkyrim VR, making the game world more immersive than ever before. The upcoming mod also makes use of xVASynth for text-to-speech and Whisper for speech-to-text interaction. With all three of these technologies in the game, NPCs are able to produce dynamically generated responses, answering questions and remembering interactions.
Some footage from the project was shared to YouTube in March, Art From The Machine providing a fairly substantial progress update earlier this week. “I am working on a Skyrim mod which allows for conversations with NPCs via ChatGPT, xVASynth (text-to-speech), and Whisper (speech-to-text). This update introduces Skyrim scripting which allows for lip syncing of voices and NPC awareness of in-game events,” the modder explains in the official description.
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The video showcases Ulfberth War-Bear, a worker at Warmaiden’s in Whiterun, among several other NPCs. While the responses are of course a bit stilted, the mod may have potential when it comes to creating dynamic interactions with NPCs. As soon as Art From The Machine finishes working on the brand new memory system, the NPCs should be able to remember past events and conversations, responding to players accordingly.
The mod is currently in active development, Art From The Machine planning to add more features and carry out extensive bug testing before releasing the project to the public. When this finally comes to fruition, the results will certainly be interesting to experience. The potential impact of such a system on the games industry remains to be seen, but similar to so many other technologies, the outcome could very well be in equal parts good and bad, something which goes for both creators and consumers. “This is an incredible, terrifying first step,” Adam Kemp for example commented on YouTube. “I love and fear this in equal measure.”
Despite this, many responses have raised concerns about the rise of AI. There’s a lot of excitement, but such technology runs the risk of making so many jobs in the gaming industry redundant if it was to be used on a wider scale. And, of course, it can be pretty soulless when compared to the work of an actual human, especially in cases of AI-generated artwork. At least in the case of this fan-made mod, it’s not being used by a large publisher to put anyone out of work.
