In a recent demonstration, the AI companies Decart and Etched have unveiled a unique version of the popular video game Minecraft, which offers a glimpse into the future of real-time content generation. As players navigate this innovative environment, they may notice a peculiar twist: the dirt block they just placed could unexpectedly transform into an entirely different landscape. This phenomenon, attributed to the AI’s propensity for “hallucinations,” sets this version apart from the traditional gaming experience.
Innovative Technology Behind the Experience
At the heart of this project lies a groundbreaking technology known as next-frame prediction. By training their model, named Oasis, on millions of hours of Minecraft gameplay and user actions, Decart and Etched have crafted an AI capable of understanding the game’s physics, environments, and controls without any conventional coding. Dean Leitersdorf, cofounder and CEO of Decart, envisions a future where screens become portals to ever-evolving imaginary worlds, free from the constraints of traditional programming.
While the current iteration of their Minecraft demo exhibits some limitations—such as low resolution, brief play sessions, and frequent hallucinations—the companies remain optimistic. They believe that advancements in chip design and ongoing improvements will pave the way for a high-fidelity version of Minecraft, or potentially any video game.
Future Enhancements and Performance Gains
Etched is actively developing a new chip that promises to enhance performance by a factor of ten. Such an improvement could significantly reduce the cost and energy required for real-time interactive video, enabling Decart and Etched to refine their demo. The anticipated upgrades would allow for longer gameplay sessions, fewer hallucinations, and improved resolution, while also accommodating more players simultaneously.
Siddharth Garg, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at NYU Tandon, emphasizes the potential of custom chips for AI to unlock substantial performance and energy efficiency gains. Etched’s approach involves designing their chips specifically for AI applications, utilizing a single core to efficiently manage complex mathematical operations. The focus on inference—where AI makes predictions—over training—where it learns from data—further distinguishes their technology.
Robert Wachen, cofounder and COO of Etched, asserts that their specialized chip design sets them apart from existing market options. However, until the new chip is deployed and its capabilities validated, skepticism remains regarding the promised performance improvements. Garg expresses doubt about achieving a tenfold enhancement solely through smarter design, given the current advancements in AI specialization among leading GPUs.
Despite these challenges, Decart and Etched harbor ambitious aspirations. If their efficiency gains align with projections, they foresee the potential to create real-time virtual doctors or tutors. Wachen emphasizes that these innovations stem from superior architecture and hardware, underscoring the significance of their proof of concept.
For those intrigued by this pioneering endeavor, a demo of their AI-generated Minecraft experience is available for exploration.
