AI-powered Peridot: Niantic's Virtual Pet Outshines Your Home Cat
Artificial Intelligence
3-minute read
How great is it to have a virtual pet like Peridot? You can enjoy the cuteness and companionship of having a cat without the hassle of cleaning up after them. From the Tamagotchi of the 90s to the AR pet game Peridot by Niantic, which was propelled into international fame with Pokémon GO, virtual pets continue to bring joy to people's lives, both young and old.
Recently, Peridot has caught people's attention once again. Niantic is integrating generative AI technology into Peridot for the first time, allowing these furry virtual creatures, also known as "Dots," to interact and react to the real world in unexpected ways, just like real pets.
The AR pet game "Peridot" launched by Niantic. (Source: Peridot)
Peridot, the Next Generation Virtual Pet with AI
If you're not familiar with Peridot, let me share my previous experience playing it. Although the virtual pet in Peridot is very cute (it looks like an amalgamation between a slug and a cat), I felt that the game design wasn't quite mature yet.
Aside from having a social and breeding systems similar to that found in the original Tamagotchi, Peridot's uniqueness lies in the ability to take your pet outside for a walk. Sometimes, your Dot will demand to see flowers, trees, or even cats and dogs, and you'll need to take your phone outside to find those things. However, the interaction is limited, at most you can only take pictures of your Dot. Another drawback of Peridot is that it drains the battery quickly, so after playing for about two weeks, I ended up giving up my pet.
However, Dots already had different personalities at that time. The one on the left is shy and pinky, while the black one is very lively.
Using AI to Make Virtual Pets More Realistic
However, recently, when I saw that Niantic is integrating generative AI, my interest was reignited. I'm very curious about how AI can make Dots be more like real pets.
Based on the information released on the official website, first, this AI will enable Dots to understand their surroundings. Through Niantic's special visual AI algorithm, the camera captures the real world and converts it into precise 3D models, allowing Dots to freely navigate within the captured environment. With the help of Niantic's Lightship ARDK technology, Dots can recognize various real-world objects such as flowers, food, and even other pets.
Flower treasures that can interact with various objects in the environment. (Source: Peridot)
Next, the data obtained from the environment will be transmitted to a large language model (LLM), specifically Meta's Llama 2. In addition to environmental data, the personality and characteristics of each Dot, such as whether they are outgoing or shy, as well as their age and play history, will be included. This step will give each Dot unique and diverse reactions.
Finally, with all this data combined, the behavior of Dots will no longer be singular and predetermined. Instead, they will exhibit rich and varied dynamic responses contextual to different situations. For example, when we see an empty plate in the game, the Dot won't just sniff it, but will try to roll around on the plate. Such interactions make Dots feel more like living creatures-- learning, adapting to the environment, and displaying their unique personalities in different situations.
Niantic's integration of generative AI into Peridot not only showcases innovative breakthroughs in gaming technology but also rekindles the interest of a former player like me. I plan to reinstall Peridot in the next few days to see if it's really that amazing. I wonder if my Dots can become good friends with my cat at home? Even if it ends up being a battery drain, if my Dots can befriend my cat, I will be willing to expend every last drop of battery life out of my phone.
