The "World Model" of AI is coming: The global gaming industry may be facing a disruptive moment.

With the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) models that can generate interactive 3D environments, the global video game industry is facing a disruptive change. Leading AI teams such as Google DeepMind and World Labs believe that the so-called "world models" could reshape the multi-billion-dollar gaming industry. World Labs, co-founded by "AI mother" Feifei Li, recently launched its first commercial product called Marble, a 3D world generation system driven by generative AI. Marble, based on advanced generative 3D world model technology, allows users to "create spatially coherent, high-fidelity, and sustainable 3D worlds with just a single image, video clip, or text prompt." Feifei Li stated that this technology will impact game engines like Unity and Epic's Unreal, saying "everything will be disrupted, and simulation-type game engines are truly due for an upgrade." Shlomi Fruchter, co-lead of DeepMind's world model project Genie 3, mentioned that software development, especially game development, is undergoing massive changes, predicting that these changes could be revolutionary in the coming years. In addition to the gaming industry, companies like xAI and NVIDIA are looking to embed world models in robots like Siasun Robot & Automation and self-driving cars. However, the most immediate progress may first be seen in the gaming industry. According to industry research firm Newzoo, the global gaming industry is expected to generate revenue of nearly $190 billion this year. Generative AI tools are already being used to create visual assets for games such as unique terrains and characters. CEO of Game Gears, Alexander Vaschenko, mentioned that AI has helped his studio develop games like "Aliens vs Zombies: Invasion" four times faster. Vaschenko added, "Based on my professional experience, I firmly believe that both the video game and film industries will soon be unable to function without AI." In May of this year, Epic Games and Disney introduced an AI-driven "Darth Vader" in Fortnite, a character from the Star Wars franchise created using Google and ElevenLabs technology as an interactive non-player character (NPC). Looking ahead, AI experts believe that players will be able to create entirely new game worlds, while developers can reduce their reliance on expensive software or specialized skills, thus generating content. Eric Xing, president of the Mohammed bin Zayed Artificial Intelligence University, stated, "Now, players standing in front of world models can directly put themselves into a virtual world." He added, "This will fundamentally change the gaming industry, as creating a highly personalized game has become relatively simple." However, critics argue that the increased use of AI may lead to developers and artists being replaced, and game visuals may be overwhelmed by large amounts of "junk content" or low-quality AI-generated materials. This month, six European video game industry unions condemned the growing presence of AI in the industry, calling these tools "imposed on us." But optimists believe that AI could help reduce costs, boost creativity, and prevent developers from overworking. In an industry where top-tier games (AAA titles) often take years to develop and cost over $1 billion, this is undoubtedly a positive development. Alexandre Moufarek, formerly a Vice Producer at French game company Ubisoft and now with DeepMind, hopes that world models can help developers regain the "space to find joy" and "once again try out new ideas and take risks." He said, "Many times, what is truly lacking is time at the end of production. Christmas is approaching, and the game must be released, you simply don't have time to polish the details you wanted to perfect, or to thoroughly debug bugs." He added, "When we put these models more into the hands of creators, I believe we will discover some entirely new ways of working that we never anticipated before." This article was originally published by "CaiLian News," GMTEight editing: Liu Jiayin.