Reality Show Created with AI Characters Instead of People

An image of a reality show created with AI characters. Credit: arXiv (2023)

A group of researchers from Google and Stanford recently came up with a new kind of reality show. Instead of humans, they used AI agents, which are computer programs that can think and act like people.

To create the AI characters, the researchers used a popular chatbot called ChatGPT and some special computer code. They made 25 different AI characters, each with their own unique background, personality, memories, and goals. Then they placed these characters in a 16-bit video game town and let them go about their lives.

The researchers were curious about what would happen when computers were given the opportunity to live like real people.

They observed that the AI characters woke up in the morning, made breakfast, and went to work. Some of them were artists who painted, while others were writers who wrote.

They had their own opinions, noticed each other, and started conversations. They even remembered things from their past and reflected on them as they planned for the future.

The researchers published their findings in a preprint paper on a website called arXiv. They discovered that the AI characters were able to function in a way that was similar to real people, showing that computers have the potential to be much more than just machines.

‘Smallville’ AI town

Smallville, a town created for AI agents to live in, is an example of the exciting progress being made in the field of artificial intelligence. The researchers developed a set of algorithms that work together to create simple AI agents that can store memories, reflect on them, make plans, and take action based on those memories.

In Smallville, users have the ability to interact with the AI agents by either choosing an existing character or creating a new one, explained the researchers. They can initiate contact by taking actions or engaging in natural language conversations with the agents.

Researchers at Stanford and Google used an enhanced LLM to create 25 simulated people

they set them loose in a virtual Sandbox town called Smallville, and watched them chat to one another, make social arrangements, and visit the local grocery store. pic.twitter.com/qpPr6NH73S

— David Mattin (@DMattin) April 15, 2023

In their research, the scientists observed how the mention of a Valentine’s Day party resulted in the AI agents spreading the word about the party, inviting their friends, and taking care of tasks such as designing decorations.

One of the agents even invited their secret crush to the party. However, some of the agents realized they couldn’t attend due to other commitments conflicting with the party schedule.

Ai agents’ familiarity with local events

During their observation of the AI agents in Smallville, the researchers discovered that some of the agents showed evidence of familiarity with the local events and other characters in the town.

For example, in a conversation between two agents named Isabella and Tom, Isabella mentioned that she had been discussing the election with Sam Moore and asked for Tom’s opinion of him. Tom replied that he didn’t like Sam Moore because he believed he was out of touch with the community and didn’t have their best interests in mind.

In another instance, a user informed Isabella that the dish she was cooking was burning. Isabella promptly turned off her stove. The researchers stated it as “Success.”