InZOI will feature AI characters known as CPCs
NVIDIA has today (January 7th) announced plans to develop and use AI companions for video games, known as Co-Playable Characters (CPCs).
The announcement was made at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, where NVIDIA revealed that, unlike traditional NPCs (Non-Player Characters), these CPCs have the ability to interact and co-operate with players and understand and respond to game situations.
According to an NVIDIA blog post, CPCs will be able to act as autonomous squad members, “following orders, collecting and sharing loot, and engaging enemies”. They’ll also offer strategic suggestions and take steps to complete an action or order “without additional prompting or assistance from the player”.
CPCs are enabled by an on-device Small Language Model (SLM) and built with NVIDIA ACE technology, a suite of RTX-accelerated digital human technologies that “bring game characters to life with generative AI”.
The tech giant also unveiled a partnership with KRAFTON, under which the publisher plans to use CPCs in the PUBG franchise and upcoming life-sim InZOI.
In InZOI, CPCs will be “more reactive and realistic than anything you’ve seen before” as every ZOI in the city acts autonomously, is driven by their life goals, and reacts to their environment and the events happening around them.
CH Kim, Krafton’s CEO, said in a statement: “CES 2025 marks a significant milestone for KRAFTON as we work to unveil AI technology that will revolutionise the gaming industry.
“We plan to closely collaborate with NVIDIA to drive the transformation of the user experience with AI-powered innovation built with NVIDIA ACE, such as CPC, that’s poised to redefine the future of gaming.”
Keita Iida, the Vice President of Developer Relations at NVIDIA, said: “AI is transforming the way games are created and played. By bringing our innovative AI technology, such as NVIDIA ACE, to a range of their live games, KRAFTON is unlocking Co-Playable Characters for new, unique experiences.”
NVIDIA has teased further plans for CPCs in 2025. For the time being, how do you feel about AI companions in games?
