This talk was recorded at NDC Oslo in Oslo, Norway. #ndcoslo #ndcconferences #developer #softwaredeveloper    

Attend the next NDC conference near you: 
https://ndcconferences.com
https://ndcoslo.com/

Subscribe to our YouTube channel and learn every day:   
/       @NDC 

Follow our Social Media!

https://www.facebook.com/ndcconferences
https://twitter.com/NDC_Conferences
https://www.instagram.com/ndc_conferences/

#ai #architecture 

The focus upon AI continues to be the predominant technology subject of the day; it’s the must-have feature of any new product or service; it’s at the forefront of many discussions about ethics, attribution and indeed our own future employment prospects.

But increasingly, the term “AI” has become synonymous with only one flavour of artificial intelligence - that being “machine learning” (ML) - e.g. generative AI, applied AI, large language models (LLMs) and the such.

However, there are many other types of AI, which until recently, were the mainstay algorithms found behind automated decision making solutions.

Many of these concepts can be found in the video games we know and love.

Are these other types of AI still relevant? Do they risk being drowned out, or forgotten, in the rush to embrace machine learning solutions?

In this session, we’ll explore the AI used for player interactions, including the algorithms that are a staple of game development: pathfinding, state machines, decision trees, and goal-oriented action planning.

We’ll also dig into some of the performance considerations necessary to keep these algorithms running efficiently.

We’ll circle back to how the business application developer can use this type of AI in applications, and how the lessons learnt making video games can help us write better software.

NDC Conferences

Classical AI techniques in video games are explored, covering finite state machines (FSMs), behavior trees, navigation meshes with A* pathfinding, Goal-Oriented Action Planning (GOAP), and Hierarchical Task Networks (HTN). The presentation traces AI history from 1950s symbolic AI through modern implementations in games like Half-Life, F.E.A.R., and Horizon Zero Dawn. Technical deep-dives explain how NPCs make decisions, navigate environments, and create emergent gameplay through backward planning graphs and depth-first search algorithms. Complementary systems like Director AI and Utility AI are covered for controlling game pacing and tension.

The Forgotten AI of Video Games - Layla Porter - NDC Oslo 2025