Author: by Staff

Game Developers Conference 2010 organizers have revealed the initial lineup of the second annual AI Summit, held March 9th and 10th, including technical talks from developers at companies like Blizzard, Nintendo, Big Huge Games, Maxis, and more. The summit will take place on the first two days of GDC 2010 at San Francisco's Moscone Center, bringing together top game developers from around the world to explore ideas, share best practices, and discuss the future of artificial intelligence in games. "As with last year, the Guild wanted to present a higher-end level of content," said Dave Mark of the AI Game Programmers Guild, which maintains the AI Summit along with GDC organizer Think Services. "There are no 'beginners' sessions in the Summit." "We do believe, however, that there is a place for attendees who are new to AI programming," he continued. "In fact, we feel non-technical people will be able to benefit from the treatments of many of the presented subjects. Many of the positive comments we received last year were from designers and producers! Regardless of the skill level that an attendee comes in with, they will most certainly leave with a significant amount of knowledge and understanding of the latest and greatest in game AI." While more major lectures will be announced soon, a number of significant talks have already been confirmed. These include: - Deciding on an AI Architecture: Which Tool for the Job? A brain trust of AI pros like Steve Rabin (Nintendo), Alex Champandard (AiGameDev.com), Michael Dawe (Big Huge Games), Dave Mark (Intrinsic Algorithm), and Charles Rich (Worcester Polytechnic Institute) will conduct a panel discussion examinnig the crucial issue of the pros and cons of various AI architectures -- and how to choose one. - Experimental Game AI: Live Demos of Innovation As in many aspects of game development, evolution comes by way of experimentation. Here, notable developers will demonstrate their latest prototypes and experiments on stage, illustrating the breadth of imagination and inspiration in the field today. - AI Developers Rant! What are AI developers thinking about right now? You'll find out in this rapid-fire session presented by Steve Rabin, Dave Mark, Kevin Dill (Lockheed Martin), Adam Russell (University of Derby), John Funge (Netflix), and independent developer Borut Pfeifer. Topics will include the nuts and bolts of AI programming, as well as working with other developers and academics. "Rather than simple griping about the industry, these expressions are about issues that are very important to AI developers and the industry as a whole," Mark said of the AI Developers Rant session. "Some will make you laugh, some may require a fire extinguisher, but all of them are sure to make you think." More information on the AI Summit, which can be attended with an All-Access Pass or a Summit & Tutorials Pass GDC 2010 passes, is available on its official webpage, with a number of additional talks due to be confirmed in the near future.