Summary
- Pokemon GO will be introducing an AI feature that will enhance its AR mode in 2024, joining the trend of game developers embracing AI technologies.
- Niantic intends to leverage AI to make Pokemon GO creatures react to their surroundings in a realistic fashion, making the game more immersive.
- While the AR mode in Pokemon GO has often been considered gimmicky and a battery drain, AI might potentially improve its popularity and overall value proposition.
Pokemon GO will be debuting an artificial intelligence feature that will improve its AR mode sometime in 2024, a senior Niantic official has revealed. This bit of insight into the hit mobile game confirms that Niantic intends to join the growing list of game developers embracing AI technologies.
Recent years saw major advancements in machine learning and hardware that ushered in an era of innovative new AI solutions ranging from complex systems that can categorize photos, draw images, and even generate text, among other things. And although game developers haven't been oblivious to these advancements, the commercial applications of such technologies are still in their infancy, so it very much remains to be seen how AI will change gaming in the long term.
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In the meantime, the Pokemon GO team is already exploring artificial intelligence tech, according to Niantic CEO John Hanke. In a recent interview with BBC, the executive predicted that 2024 will be a massively important year for augmented reality apps in the vein of the company's hit mobile game, not least because he expects such AR software to finally start converging with AI in the coming months. Niantic intends to be at the forefront of those innovations, and will launch the first Pokemon GO AI feature at some point in 2024, the CEO explained.
While the details about the upcoming functionality are still slim, Hanke revealed that Niantic intends to leverage AI to make Pokemon GO creatures react to their surroundings in a "realistic" fashion. The same technology will also be used for adjusting the pocket monsters' positioning with respect to their environments. In other words, the developer is apparently working on a machine vision solution that would minimize or eliminate scenarios in which creatures float in the air while using the Pokemon GO AR mode. The functionality would hence possibly be an extension of the AR+ mode that first debuted in the game in 2017.
Niantic intends to leverage AI to make Pokemon GO creatures react to their surroundings in a "realistic" fashion.
Such a feature would certainly help make the game more immersive, although it remains to be seen whether it would manage to significantly boost the AR mode's popularity. Although Niantic never shared its detailed usage data, the fandom has long considered the AR aspect of Pokemon GO to be its most gimmicky feature that doesn't add much gameplay value while being a huge battery hog. Due to that state of affairs, many fans have been playing the game with the AR mode disabled since its 2016 release.
While this incoming addition will mark the first AI-powered gameplay feature to reach Pokemon GO, Niantic has conceivably already incorporated some artificial intelligence solutions into its development workflow. This possibility was recently raised by a number of fans who accused Pokemon GO of using AI-generated art.
WHERE TO PLAY
Pokémon GO is an immersive open-world multiplayer RPG that enables you to live your own RPG adventure in augmented reality. Find and evolve all Pokémon and battle with other players in AR online in this multiplayer adventure RPG.
COMPLETE YOUR POKÉDEX AND INCREASE YOUR TRAINER LEVEL!
Catch your favourite Pokémon as you explore the open world in augmented reality, trade them with other Trainers, or get the chance to catch a Pokémon after winning a Raid. You can also collect Pokémon by hatching eggs through walking! Evolve your Pokémon in your Pokédex, gain levels to catch more powerful Pokémon and earn adventure rewards during a Raid in multiplayer or online PvP battle.
EXPERIENCE THE ADVENTURE IN MULTIPLAYER AND PvP!
Start your own adventure and challenge other Trainers online in PvP during epic Gym battles or in the GO Battle League. You can also enjoy multiplayer by facing off with other players in PvP battles to win rewards, or team up with other Trainers for a chance to catch Pokémon after a Raid Battle.
CREATE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE!
Customise your avatar, join one of the three teams and pick your Buddy Pokémon from your Pokédex to journey by your side in this AR adventure RPG.
SWITCH BETWEEN THE REAL WORLD AND THE VIRTUAL WORLD WITH THE AR+ MODE!
Bring the RPG to the real world and search for Pokémon in locations around you. With the AR+ mode, Pokémon appear right in front of you — Catch it with your PokéBall and add it to your Pokédex.
Catch your favourite Pokémon in AR as you explore the world and battle online with other Trainers in PvP and Raid battles.
