Artificial Intelligence Bringing iGaming to Life

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you won’t fail to have noticed the recent burst of artificial intelligence use (AI) in the world around you. From customer support chatbots to intelligent robotics, AI is having a profound effect on the everyday lives of the general population. But what does the future hold for AI and iGaming? Let’s explore this in a bit more detail…

The Benefits of AI

Artificial intelligence has been around for donkey's years, so why this sudden influx of AI? Those of you old enough to remember IBM’s Deep Blue will recall the staggering events of an iconic six-match game of chess 26 years ago between world chess Grandmaster, Garry Kasparov, and the supercomputer. Chess being notoriously difficult, it had long been believed that no computer could defeat a reigning master. But that was wrong.

The events of the 1997 chess match were the inception of today’s AI success. As with other technologies, as improvements are made and the people working on any given area grow, the progress made snowballs until it is ready to erupt. The last couple of years have seen a springboard effect in the progress and use of AI in many different areas.

AI in Media

The potential for AI in a multitude of areas is huge. Take, for example, Fedha, the AI-generated news presenter from Kuwait or Ren, the Chinese AI news presenter. At first glance, most people would believe they were both actual women and Fedha already has over 1.2 million followers on Twitter. Ren Xiaorong presents news around the clock from China’s leading social media platform Weibo, while blond-haired, blue-eyed Fedha will deliver regular news to the Kuwaiti nation.

Then there’s the range of AI voice generators, like Speechify, Murf.AI, and Synthesia, handy tools for voiceover and advertising creation at a fraction of the cost of a real-life voice actor. There are already hundreds of voices to choose from with plenty of regional accents, enabling marketing companies to deliver tailored content to specific demographics.

As well as AI voices, marketers can also benefit from AI copywriting services from companies such as Copy.ai, Anyword, and Jasper, which assure customers that they can create quality content streamlined for engagement. However, some argue that the ‘authentic voice’ and expert knowledge that is needed is lost, so progress in this area would work for some companies better than others.

Some AI areas have multiple uses and many are still undergoing improvement, like Bard, ‘a conversational AI model capable of fluid, multi-turn dialogue’ that offers users collaborations to improve creativity in any writing. Bard states it can write song lyrics, write witty retorts, poetry, and even help craft your first novel. Big claims indeed.

And if you’ve not seen any yet, check out some of the visually-stunning AI created images like the ones made using Midjourney. Users give prompts that can be tweaked with changes to the words used. The results are staggering, to say the least. If you don’t want to take my word for it, check out the Midjourney Community Showcase gallery. Midjourney isn’t the only AI art tool in the box, more and more are popping up each day, such as Hotpot, Picsart, or Craiyon.

Types of AI

Generally speaking, each AI tool falls into one of four categories: reactive machine, limited memory, theory of mind, or self-aware.

The reactive machine simply reacts to live data. It has a limited capacity and has no memory to store information. As a consequence, it doesn’t learn from its past experiences. While very restrictive, it does have its uses for simple tasks such as data filtering.

Limited memory is the most common AI used today and is different to reactive memory in that it provides some storage capabilities. It needs to be programmed and uses its memory storage to analyse data in real time. Self-driving cars and chatbots are good examples of limited memory AI.

Theory of mind is a more advanced technology that can collect data, make observations and respond to humans based on emotions. This technology is still in its infancy due to the complex nature of the programming involved in the nuances of human behaviour.

Self-aware may bring to mind the phrase ‘I’ll be back’ or other quotes from Hollywood movies of yesteryear, like The Terminator, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, and D.A.R.Y.L., that played on the anxieties surrounding burgeoning AI in our world. It may be far off, but alarm bells are ringing around the world on the implications of truly self-aware AI that can make informed decisions.

In a recent open letter, signed by tens of thousands, including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, Elon Musk, and former presidential candidate Andrew Yang, and published on the Future of Life Institute website. It gave a stark warning for the future of mankind, raising grave concerns about the consequences of AI on the world and called for the immediate pause on training AI systems more powerful than the current ChatGPT.

Eliezer Yudkowsky, a pioneer of AI, said that

“If somebody builds a too-powerful AI, under present conditions, I expect that every single member of the human species and all biological life on Earth dies shortly thereafter.”

Worrying words indeed from someone who knows what they’re talking about. But it is just scaremongering, or is it something more? Can AI be a positive thing for iGaming and the world at large?

iGambling AI

The first obvious use for AI in the iGaming world is for customer service. Long, drawn-out conversations with customers can be filtered or even solved by clever chatbots, massively reducing the need for a large customer service team.

Marketing is the other obvious example, companies can cheaply create eye-catching images, marketing emails, blogs, social media posts, or videos with voiceover or text in a short space of time, though with limited function or flair. This area still needs improvement to go up against the creativity and personality of professional people. Common feedback often states that the words can seem disjointed, impersonal or irrelevant. However, for smaller companies, especially those marketing to a global market, but for those with no formal marketing training or experience, it’s a great, cheap alternative. Though beware, as many language teachers will testify, most online spell checkers and translators – even the most well-known names in the business – can leave a lot to be desired when it comes to flow, grammar, structure, and dynamics.

Affiliate programmes could benefit, bridging the gap between affiliate and operator with improved platform optimisation, promotions and overall user experience. AI technology can analyse algorithms to predict user behaviours and tailor promotions to coincide with current trends.

Prevention of problem gambling has massive implications for operators. Recently, Mindway AI, a software company from Denmark, announced it would be collaborating with the Hellenic Gaming Commission to improve Greek players’ protection in the gambling industry. The AI will assess behavioural trends and weigh up the risk and probability of the player developing a gambling problem. Such developments would be greatly beneficial to operators and should, in theory, reduce the likelihood of heavy fines for operators as well as make gambling safer for players.

iGaming Reborn with AI?

Sports Betting

AI has already made progress in the world of iGaming. In April, a Cipher Sports Technology Group product, Dimers.com, launched Bettorverse a sports betting platform powered by AI. Bettorverse was billed by the company as ‘One of the first within the industry and has been designed to provide bettors with a more precise and data-driven approach to sports betting.’ It uses advanced technology and algorithms to analyse variables including the weather, injuries, player stats, and team dynamics to provide betting predictions. It has a profit/loss reward function and it’s constantly learning to adapt.

Dimers.com CTO, Darryl Woodford said,

"We're excited to bring the Bettorverse, home to our new reinforcement learning models, to our users. Our team has worked hard to create a platform that gives the best betting predictions possible. With this new AI model, we're confident our users will enjoy a more entertaining betting experience."

Anyone interested in early access can sign up for free on the waiting list.

Jason Stockwood, owner of Grimsby Town FC in the UK, has spoken recently about the influence AI is having on football with teams already using the technology to sign new players. He believes that teams could use it to suggest tactics and even substitutions. Check out some of the automated AI responses created to mimic real-life football legend Frank Lampard OBE, caretaker manager of Premier League club Chelsea, by Open AI’s ChatGPT in this article in The Telegraph.

Casino

SOFTSWISS recently stated it will be using AI in its design to improve visuals for online casinos. In a recent press release, they said that doing so allows them ‘To go beyond the ordinary for online casino design templates, adding uniqueness to client projects.’ The AI used by their designers enables swift visual creations with high output, broadening productivity and giving clients the chance to choose from a wide range of images.

Designers then work on the images to improve them, as Head of WebStudio Olga Ivanchik (the department that creates the frontend designs), remarked,

“Designers suggest the initial idea and generate queries for the program. This requires creativity, inspiration, and imagination. Someone (or something) without sufficient background knowledge cannot create a truly unique project that will be visually pleasing and fully convenient for the player to use. This requires human imagination and the unique experience that comes with practice. And the synergy of a talented designer and a multifunctional tool gives maximum results in minimal time.”

Virtual reality (VR) games use AI technology to build a realistic gaming experience and create improved playability. VR headsets are falling in price and more and more people are able to explore the world in new and exciting ways. Many gaming companies have quickly cottoned on to the VR revolution and have developed all sorts of exciting games, including titles such as Casino VR Poker, VR Blackjack, Apollo Slots VR, VR Casino, and Big Spin Slots on Gear VR.

VR casinos, like SlotsMillion and Social Club VR, and augmented reality (AR) glasses, boast realistic interactive game tables, chat systems, and real casino sounds for an authentic, immersive casino experience. Platforms like Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear, Google Cardboard and Sony Playstation VR, are among those already in the world of VR casinos. The creation of the metaverse may be just around the corner – think Ready Player One, but in real life.

The Future is Now

The world of possibilities for AI casino games, whether slots, table games or live game shows, is too big to properly comprehend. It won’t be long, we speculate, before we are seeing more and more intelligent slots, or AI dealers, ready to be enjoyed by the masses.

And let’s not forget lottery, fantasy games, and bingo, each also with masses of potential ready to be plucked and developed by clever techies.

AI bots can help to prevent fraud, as well as improve gameplay, to ensure companies and players are kept safe while gaming and gambling.  Surely that’s a win-win situation for everyone?!

Nothing beats the personalised touches created by real human brains. Or so most people would have you believe, but in the 26 years since that record-breaking chess game, the world is a very different place from 1997.

Just imagine what the world will be like in 2049…

Get Into iGaming

If you’re looking to get into iGaming, WeAreGame specialises in iGaming platform creation. If you’re interested in learning how we can help you start your own iGaming business, or expand your current brand with our platforms solutions, get in touch with us at: hello@weare.game

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