One of my favorite pieces from the last 12 months. First published on his July 22, 2022 date.
Running today’s most powerful AI models requires a lot of GPU power.Even the most extreme gaming PC builds (opens in new tab) Can’t handle the kind of vitality needed to get the best AI dungeons (opens in new tab) The model is up and running. For Latitude to essentially power this few, more free and creative online D&D campaigns, it takes something really scary.
According to Nick Walton, CEO of Latitude and a software engineer who helped design Latitude’s early code: D&D inspired story generator (opens in new tab)“If you want to run the biggest AI for AI dungeons, you need not only a powerful GPU, get together Even 8 or 16 massive high-performance GPUs should be more powerful than even the best graphics cards. (opens in new tab) in the consumer market.
Language models such as Dragon Experience in AI Dungeon based on 178 billion parameters Jurrasic-1 Jumbo language model developed by AI21 (opens in new tab)recognizing and recalling key story elements and exploiting complex writing styles require enormous levels of computing power.
nick me DGX Station A100 (opens in new tab) As a reference for the kind of machine Latitude uses to power the game’s more intense power AI model (opens in new tab)This is a computing monster, even with just four of Nvidia’s $10,000 A100 GPUs. This is the first and inherently most powerful Ampere graphics card to come out.
AI Dungeon … is the most demanding game in terms of graphics card requirements
Latitude CEO Nick Walton
“AI Dungeon is the most demanding game in terms of graphics card requirements, especially at launch, and probably still today,” says Nick.
For a machine like the DGX Station with eight top-of-the-line A100 GPUs, we’re looking at about $150,000 in prior art costs. This is for cutting edge AI running alone. Some other AI models that need to run simultaneously to enjoy the dungeon. This is one of the reasons the company is using his AI service providers, and even those providers have been struggling to get their hands on GPUs lately.
Clearly, running such an AI business also comes with enormous energy costs. Nick told me at one point the company was spending about as much as his team of 16 (including senior management) salaries on running machines.
Adding to these energy costs is the game’s AI imagery tools. (opens in new tab), earlier this week, Latitude decided to roll it out for free to all players. Nick was able to clarify how it works.
he says catalog tens of thousands The images are pre-generated, each captioned, and match the story as it plays rather than being generated on the fly. He clarifies that generating images during gameplay would not be realistic for such manipulations, but the AI model behind the process is a video game titled “Mountain Forest and Castle”. Smart enough to know that matching images will do the trick. A story in which a medieval kingdom is mentioned.
Nick also laments that working with AI can be very difficult. Control what the AI says to prevent the AI from being dishonest (opens in new tab) It’s hard because “AI can be like an unruly toddler at times.” You can influence it in the right direction, but “when you tell it not to do something, it prepares the brain and it will probably do it.”
Thankfully, the team is working on optimizations to not only make AI more efficient, but to keep it in check.As the game unfolds it will all become more important vapor (opens in new tab) Next week, July 28th.
Our Fraser thinks video games need more Dungeon Masters (opens in new tab), and Nick tends to agree. In fact, his fascination with the freedom and non-linearity of Dungeons and Dragons led him to create his AI dungeons.
Nick has a strong passion for AI-powered storytelling and believes this kind of technology will change the storytelling landscape in two major ways. First, “Ai enables unprecedented free and dynamic experiences.” He talks, for example, about how many people have completed the same quest in World of Warcraft and how boring it is to know that other people are doing the same thing as him.
“I want to go to this small town and experience all the unique events that no one has ever experienced and ultimately become the hero of the town,” says Nick. “For the rest of the game other players may not care about that town, but I do! It’s where I had all my unique and cool experiences, and I’m free to decide where the story goes.” It’s a place where you can.”
And AI storytelling isn’t just about unique experiences. “The second thing that I think is really powerful is AI’s ability to enable a whole new generation of creators at scale… enabling everyone to be the creative director of their own experience. Nick believes that creators will one day be able to bring their creative visions to life with the power of AI.
It’s honestly a much better view of the future of AI than most people think, and I appreciate that. It’s exciting to see companies like Latitude expand and evolve with something I’m very passionate about: emergent storytelling. I’m sure the Steam launch will be a success, so add the AI dungeon to your wishlist. get on.
