Ubisoft Reveals Teammates – An AI Experiment to Change the Game
Following in the footsteps of Neo NPC, the advanced NPC experiment revealed at GDC 2024, Ubisoft has unveiled its first playable generative AI research project which explores how AI can be used to deepen the player experience through real-time voice commands and enhanced gameplay. Dubbed Teammates, the playable experiment showcases the capabilities of an in-game AI, named Jaspar, as well as AI-enhanced NPCs who accompany and support the player dynamically, generating real-time responses and actions based on player voice commands.
The team behind the project aims to test the potential and limits of player interactions through natural speech, explore how generative AI can be used to enhance immersion, and test unique interactions that would not be possible without the technology. Director of Gameplay Gen AI Xavier Manzanares, Narrative Director Virginie Mosser, and Data & AI Director Rémi Labory gave us their insights on how the project has different goals to other AI projects, and how the team’s research resulted in Teammates.
First and foremost, Teammates is an experimental research project, albeit a playable one. Built around the mechanics of a first-person shooter, players take on the role of a member of the resistance in a dystopian future, tasked with moving through an enemy base to locate five missing members of their team. In the short playable level, players must recover the final memories of those who were sent in previously to discover their fates, while fending off squads of enemies along their path. Besides the AI voice assistant – Jaspar – the player is accompanied by two NPC squad members – Pablo and Sofia – also featuring the new advanced capabilities.
Jaspar is an AI assistant designed to extend beyond the
