The talent behind the acclaimed AI exploration puzzle game Talos principle have finally gotten into the issue of contemporary large language models (ie LLM/AI) and what they mean for human society at large, and the team is actually opting for optimism. Acts as a conclusion to the entire series, The Talos Principle 3 will discuss what happens after death, and generative AI will be among the topics it touches on by proxy.
The Talos Principle 3 is at the opposite end of the seriousness spectrum compared to developer Croteam's other big-ticket items, Serious Sam. While Serious Sam may return sooner than expected, the spotlight remains squarely on the final chapter of the Croatian studio's famed puzzle series, and a recent interview has revealed some of the philosophy driving the team's efforts on this project.
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The Talos Principle 3 developer asks “What if we weren't [Screwed]'by AI?
Croteam CCO Davor Hunski and writers Verena and Jonas Kyratzes spoke with Polygon in a recent interview where they discussed the nature of The Talos Principle 3and the gist of it was that the team is telling this specific story “because [they] believe that many people have no hope.” As Talos principle explores questions of consciousness and humanity, it only makes sense that its author would take a measured approach to the cutting edge of modern technology. “We have this weird phenomenon where we call things artificial intelligence that aren't artificial intelligence, and now we all talk like we have artificial intelligence,” says Jonas Kyratzes. “We have something very interesting in LLM and in machine learning, but we also have a bunch of stupid companies that are randomly spending lots of money that they don't know how to make back.”
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While most games like Portal hone the mechanics of their gameplay above all else, the gameplay loop instead serves as the main narrative conceit in Talos principle. “There's a recurring concept in the games that what they're trying to do is not be more than human, but be more human,” Jonas said. Later in the interview, Verena recalls a conversation with her father, who was certain that the AI would necessarily be evil because those responsible for it were evil. “But what if they weren't?” she asked. “We're telling this story because we think a lot of people don't have hope, because they don't see hope. A lot of the story out there — not just in games, but movies, books, et cetera — is dystopian. If we don't tell those stories, people won't believe there's still hope. I'm looking out there, and I also think it would be okay if people could hope again, but what could we hope? So that something can change?” While Croteam's insistence on measured optimism may seem tone-deaf given the current state of the media industry, it is not without merit.
Crucially, Croteam staff were not interested in commenting on the use of LLMs here and now: “I actually think the problem is that people have been annoying me with it since the first game,” Jonas said. While some game directors criticize the use of AI in game development, Croteam is much more interested in discussing how the technology can evolve over a long period of time and how it can be used to understand humanity on a more poignant level. It's a refreshing way of looking at things, and with that in mind The Talos Principle first launched in 2014, before the ongoing LLM craze began, it really does discuss actual artificial intelligence instead of statistical probability compression engines, and so the game's history is beyond criticism in this regard. “I know that Talos principle is just one match against this giant flood of dystopian stories, but we have to start somewhere,” Verena concluded the interview.
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The Talos Principle will conclude its main story with the third main version, which currently has no official release window. As one of the very best games with robot protagonists, it covers smart topics that go far beyond the modern and popular understanding of AI and its dangers. With more Serious Sam also on the horizon, it's likely that the team will explore less cerebral topics for some time after the series' final entry comes out, so anyone interested in a highly philosophical journey through what it means to be human and artificially intelligent might want to give it a try.
