{"id":232107,"date":"2025-07-08T02:22:31","date_gmt":"2025-07-08T02:22:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/?p=232107"},"modified":"2025-07-08T02:22:31","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T02:22:31","slug":"do-npcs-use-ai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/do-npcs-use-ai\/","title":{"rendered":"Do NPCs use AI?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_67_1 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/do-npcs-use-ai\/#Do_NPCs_use_AI\" title=\"Do NPCs use AI?\">Do NPCs use AI?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/do-npcs-use-ai\/#Understanding_NPCs_and_AI\" title=\"Understanding NPCs and AI\">Understanding NPCs and AI<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/do-npcs-use-ai\/#Frequently_Asked_Questions\" title=\"Frequently Asked Questions\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/do-npcs-use-ai\/#General_Questions\" title=\"General Questions\">General Questions<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/do-npcs-use-ai\/#AI_and_Consciousness\" title=\"AI and Consciousness\">AI and Consciousness<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/do-npcs-use-ai\/#NPCs_and_AI_Applications\" title=\"NPCs and AI Applications\">NPCs and AI Applications<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/do-npcs-use-ai\/#AI_and_Sentience\" title=\"AI and Sentience\">AI and Sentience<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/do-npcs-use-ai\/#Self-Awareness_and_Consciousness\" title=\"Self-Awareness and Consciousness\">Self-Awareness and Consciousness<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/do-npcs-use-ai\/#Advanced_AI_Concepts\" title=\"Advanced AI Concepts\">Advanced AI Concepts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_NPCs_use_AI\"><\/span>Do NPCs use AI?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>Non-player characters (NPCs) in video games <strong>do use AI<\/strong>, as they are powered by <strong>artificial intelligence (AI)<\/strong> that enables them to interact with players and respond to their actions in a <strong>dynamic<\/strong> and <strong>immersive<\/strong> way. The use of <strong>AI<\/strong> in NPCs allows them to <strong>learn<\/strong> and <strong>adapt<\/strong> to the player&#8217;s behavior, creating a more <strong>engaging<\/strong> and <strong>realistic<\/strong> gaming experience. <\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Understanding_NPCs_and_AI\"><\/span>Understanding NPCs and AI<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>To better understand how NPCs use AI, let&#8217;s dive into the world of video games and explore the role of AI in creating <strong>intelligent<\/strong> and <strong>responsive<\/strong> NPCs.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Frequently_Asked_Questions\"><\/span>Frequently Asked Questions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"General_Questions\"><\/span>General Questions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>What is the difference between NPC and AI?<\/strong>: <strong>Artificial Intelligence (AI)<\/strong> refers to the <strong>intelligent control unit<\/strong> that powers the characters, while <strong>Non-player character (NPC)<\/strong> refers to a character that is controlled by the <strong>AI<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>What type of AI is used to program the NPCs?<\/strong>: Traditionally, <strong>scripted paths<\/strong> and <strong>behavior patterns<\/strong> were used, but with the advent of <strong>Generative AI<\/strong>, NPCs can now be programmed to <strong>learn<\/strong> and <strong>adapt<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Are NPCs self-aware?<\/strong>: No, NPCs are <strong>not self-aware<\/strong>, as they are powered by <strong>rudimentary algorithms<\/strong> that choose between <strong>preset options<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"AI_and_Consciousness\"><\/span>AI and Consciousness<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ol start=\"4\">\n<li><strong>Is AI in games actually AI?<\/strong>: <strong>AI in gaming<\/strong> refers to <strong>responsive<\/strong> and <strong>adaptive<\/strong> video game experiences generated via <strong>NPCs<\/strong> that act <strong>intelligently<\/strong> or <strong>creatively<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Is AI a real danger?<\/strong>: <strong>AI<\/strong> does present some significant dangers, including <strong>job displacement<\/strong> and <strong>security concerns<\/strong>, but encouraging awareness helps engage in conversations about <strong>AI&#8217;s implications<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Are humans the only thing self-aware?<\/strong>: No, <strong>animals<\/strong> such as <strong>apes<\/strong>, <strong>elephants<\/strong>, and <strong>dolphins<\/strong> have shown evidence of <strong>self-awareness<\/strong> in studies.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"NPCs_and_AI_Applications\"><\/span>NPCs and AI Applications<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ol start=\"7\">\n<li><strong>How do NPCs use AI?<\/strong>: <strong>Generative AI<\/strong> allows NPCs to engage in <strong>complex conversations<\/strong>, show <strong>awareness of their surroundings<\/strong>, and build <strong>relationships<\/strong> with players.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Does the CIA use AI?<\/strong>: Yes, the <strong>CIA<\/strong> uses <strong>AI<\/strong> to scan the news and is building its own <strong>Chat-GPT-like tool<\/strong> for research and writing.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Is a NPC a bot?<\/strong>: In the context of video games, a <strong>bot<\/strong> refers to an <strong>NPC<\/strong> controlled by the game&#8217;s <strong>AI<\/strong> rather than by human players.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"AI_and_Sentience\"><\/span>AI and Sentience<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ol start=\"10\">\n<li><strong>What is the difference between AI and sentient AI?<\/strong>: <strong>Sentience<\/strong> refers to the capacity to <strong>feel<\/strong> and <strong>register experiences<\/strong>, while <strong>AI<\/strong> becomes <strong>sentient<\/strong> when it achieves <strong>empirical intelligence<\/strong> to think, feel, and perceive the world like humans.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Can AI turn evil?<\/strong>: The idea of <strong>AI turning evil<\/strong> is more <strong>fiction<\/strong> than reality, as <strong>AI systems<\/strong> lack <strong>consciousness<\/strong> and <strong>independent decision-making<\/strong> capabilities.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Self-Awareness_and_Consciousness\"><\/span>Self-Awareness and Consciousness<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ol start=\"12\">\n<li><strong>Are we born being self-aware?<\/strong>: People are not born completely <strong>self-aware<\/strong>, but <strong>infants<\/strong> do have a <strong>rudimentary sense of self-awareness<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>At what age do humans become self-aware?<\/strong>: <strong>Reflective self-awareness<\/strong> emerges between <strong>15 and 18 months<\/strong> of age when children begin to match their own facial and\/or body movements with their image in a mirror.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Does a fetus have thoughts?<\/strong>: <strong>Embryos<\/strong> and <strong>early fetuses<\/strong> completely lack <strong>minds<\/strong> due to the absence of a <strong>brain<\/strong> and <strong>nervous system<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Advanced_AI_Concepts\"><\/span>Advanced AI Concepts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ol start=\"15\">\n<li><strong>What is the scariest AI theory?<\/strong>: <strong>Roko&#8217;s basilisk<\/strong> is a thought experiment that states an otherwise <strong>benevolent AI<\/strong> would create a <strong>virtual reality simulation<\/strong> to torture those who knew of its potential existence but did not contribute to its advancement.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Do NPCs use AI? Non-player characters (NPCs) in video games do use AI, as they are powered by artificial intelligence (AI) that enables them to interact with players and respond to their actions in a dynamic and immersive way. The use of AI in NPCs allows them to learn and adapt to the player&#8217;s behavior, &#8230; <a title=\"Do NPCs use AI?\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/do-npcs-use-ai\/\" aria-label=\"More on Do NPCs use AI?\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-232107","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=232107"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232107\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=232107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=232107"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=232107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}