Generative AI continues to captivate the gaming industry, with a recent survey by Google Cloud indicating that an impressive 90% of developers are delving into its possibilities. However, discussions surrounding AI often pivot towards its ethical implications, encompassing sustainability, energy consumption, ownership, data provenance, costs, and long-term viability.
For those concerned about the ethical dimensions of AI in gaming, Millennium Whisper, a retro-style dating sim from the UK-based indie studio Parable Studios, presents a compelling case. Currently in Early Access, it stands out as the first game on Steam to operate a large language model entirely on-device, eschewing reliance on cloud-based inference. This innovative approach allows for natural and unique conversations within the game, while also addressing the ethical considerations of data usage, as highlighted in the latest edition of AI Gamechangers, our partner newsletter on Substack.
In a recent interview with founder and CEO Ambrose Robinson, the latest issue of AI Gamechangers delves into how Millennium Whisper employs AI-driven characters trained on performances by real actors. Importantly, these actors retain ownership of their data and receive royalties—a principle that Robinson deemed non-negotiable from the project’s inception. “I’ve seen the worst in terms of AI,” he reflects. “I want to be one of the people who does it right, in a way that supports people and provides enjoyable work.”
Rather than relying on vast amounts of generic internet data, Parable’s methodology focuses on actor-led role-play sessions. These performances serve as the foundation for each character’s behavior in the game. “This is instead of what we usually see with AI, which is it scrapes loads of stuff from the internet and tries to mould it into something you might want,” Robinson explains. “We’re able to say, ‘Here is a specific actor who is going to play ‘Alex’. We’re going to tell them everything about Alex, and they’re going to play as Alex for a while, and the data they give us is going to be perfect.’” Crucially, this data remains the property of the performers, with Parable licensing it solely for Millennium Whisper and prohibiting its reuse in future projects or sale to other developers.
Offline and sustainable
The decision to run AI locally carries significant advantages for energy efficiency, operating costs, and long-term sustainability. Traditional server-based AI models, such as those utilizing the Claude API on platforms like Google Cloud or AWS, incur ongoing expenses, continuous energy consumption, and the risk of eventual service shutdowns. “The energy-saving side of it is the most important thing,” Robinson asserts. “It’s beyond any of this other stuff.”
While the local inference approach presents its own set of challenges, such as hardware fragmentation complicating deployment, Parable has worked diligently to fine-tune its models for compatibility across consumer devices. Robinson believes these trade-offs are justified, particularly from a business standpoint. “If you’ve got server-based AI, you’re going to have to kill it eventually, because that’s going to cost too much money,” he notes. “Our game runs on your device. I really like the fact that when I sell a copy of Millennium Whisper, that’s it. That person has it on their thing. It makes it feel more like game development and not AI development.”
This dialogue is part of the ongoing exploration within AI Gamechangers, a weekly newsletter dedicated to examining how AI is being integrated across the gaming landscape, including PC development, tools, and production workflows. Aimed at developers, publishers, and investors navigating the swift technical and ethical shifts in the industry, Robinson’s interview concludes the year with insights on energy use, ownership, and the essence of creating sustainable AI-powered games. The full Q&A, featuring a deeper discussion on technology, future projects, and design philosophy, is available for free on the AI Gamechangers Substack.
For those interested in the evolving AI landscape, Robinson and other industry leaders will be present at PG Connects London on January 19-20. Attendees can utilize a code for a 10% discount on tickets.
