The Evolution of AI-Powered Interactive Storytelling: From Ancient Myths to Local 70B Models
In the past decade, the realm of AI-powered role-playing (RP) has seen a significant evolution. What began as niche experiments with early language models has blossomed into a dynamic landscape of platforms, resources, and communities. This overview explores the existing environment of AI RP, from widely-used tools to cutting-edge techniques.
The Emergence of AI RP Platforms
Various platforms have come to prominence as popular centers for AI-powered narrative creation and role-play. These allow users to participate in both traditional RP and more mature ERP (sensual storytelling) scenarios. Characters like Euryvale, or custom personalities like Poppy Porpoise have become popular choices.
Meanwhile, other platforms have grown in popularity for distributing and sharing "character cards" – ready-to-use digital personas that users can converse with. The Backyard AI community has been particularly active in designing and distributing these cards.
Breakthroughs in Language Models
The rapid development of advanced AI systems (LLMs) has been a primary catalyst of AI RP's proliferation. Models like LLaMA CPP and the mythical "Mythomax" (a speculative future model) demonstrate the growing potential of AI in producing logical and environmentally cognizant responses.
AI personalization has become a vital technique for adapting these models to specific RP scenarios or character personalities. This approach allows for more nuanced and stable interactions.
The Movement for Privacy and Control
As AI RP has grown in popularity, so too has the need for data privacy and individual oversight. This has led to the development of "user-owned language processors" and local hosting solutions. Various "LLM hosting" services have sprung up to satisfy this need.
Endeavors like Undi and implementations of NeuralCore.cpp have made it achievable for users to operate powerful language models on their personal devices. This "on-device AI" approach appeals to those concerned about data privacy or those who simply relish experimenting with AI systems.
Various tools have become widely adopted as user-friendly options for running local models, including advanced 70B parameter versions. These more complex models, while computationally intensive, offer enhanced capabilities for elaborate RP scenarios.
Exploring Limits and Investigating New Frontiers
The AI RP community is known for its inventiveness and eagerness to push boundaries. Tools like Cognitive Vector Control allow for precise manipulation over AI outputs, potentially leading to more dynamic and spontaneous characters.
Some users seek out "abiliterated" or "obliterated" models, read more targeting maximum creative freedom. However, this sparks ongoing philosophical conversations within the community.
Niche tools have appeared to address specific niches or provide novel approaches to AI interaction, often with a focus on "no logging" policies. Companies like recursal.ai and featherless.ai are among those exploring innovative approaches in this space.
The Future of AI RP
As we envision the future, several trends are taking shape:
Increased focus on self-hosted and secure AI solutions
Creation of more powerful and streamlined models (e.g., speculated LLaMA-3)
Investigation of novel techniques like "eternal memory" for preserving long-term context
Fusion of AI with other technologies (VR, voice synthesis) for more engaging experiences
Characters like Lumimaid hint at the potential for AI to create entire fictional worlds and intricate narratives.
The AI RP space remains a nexus of innovation, with collectives like IkariDev redefining the possibilities of what's possible. As GPU technology progresses and techniques like quantization enhance performance, we can expect even more impressive AI RP experiences in the coming years.
Whether you're a curious explorer or a dedicated "neural engineer" working on the next breakthrough in AI, the realm of AI-powered RP offers infinite opportunities for imagination and adventure.