Of all the industries that AI is starting to transform - gaming is in a rather unique position. That’s not because AI is set to make monumental changes - it is. The industry has shown it can adapt to expansive changes - eSports is a world that has erupted from technological enhancements and continues to thrive.

Many gaming ideas have stemmed from the emergence of online technology, so the idea that the industry can’t adapt would be a fallacy. Still, eSports is one of the first multi-billion dollar ideas that has shown the potential to become a longstanding and profitable part of the gaming world.

Artificial Intelligence has already shown that it’s here to transform the world. Its relationship with gaming is more of a question of how much it will change the industry rather than if it will. The biggest eSports tournaments 2023 had to offer highlighted that the industry is consistently moving with these tech changes, and so long as this approach continues to attract a new audience,

However, as eSports relies a lot on face-to-face interaction, live audiences and competition between players, AI changes in eSports are more nuanced. That doesn’t mean there won’t be some massive changes over the next decade, though, and it doesn’t mean some of these changes aren’t already well underway.

How Will AI Be Used In The Main Tournaments?

Out of all the potential AI use cases, player performance evaluation is the most likely to be implemented in the biggest eSports events. Statistics in eSports are a massive part of the live show; they often appear alongside the bottom of the most significant events and are used to rank the top players, who ultimately command the biggest prize pools.

AI will help accurately identify and profile these players in much greater detail. It will lead to tournaments and competitions that better determine the on-form players, those that are a clear cut above the rest, and those that have the potential to rise to the top, all in a more accurate fashion.

Enhancing Security

AI is being used in several ways in the wider gaming world. The most transparent use case has stemmed from player security and detecting gaming anomalies that can signal cheating. Wall hacks and aimbots are still eSports's two most significant security risks.

Software companies are developing programs to make these games even safer, and the recent rollout of AI in the casino gaming world has further shown that the technology is here to stay. As money continues piling into AI software developments, and as long as these continued security enhancements are used as preventative security measures in professional video gaming, then expect to see the influence grow.

AI Tools That Generate Engagement

Generative AI has become the spearhead of the AI revolution. Still, now that Nvidia appears to have hit its ceiling and has been the subject of quite a vicious stock sell-off over the last month, it’s posed a more significant question—where does AI actually provide intrinsic, tangible improvements?

AI video editing and image editing tools have allowed content creators and digital marketing specialists to expand their worlds and implement software that helps generate engagement.

Tools and technology used to be in the hands of a few skilled professional video editors are now accessible to the masses. This also means that professionals can access better professional tools and create videos and clips on social media that help generate further fan engagement and create even more captivating content.

We’re seeing AI bots in customer service more frequently, but they’re also becoming more useful in eSports events. They help relay detailed information during live broadcasts and tournaments, again helping to customize further the eSports experience for those looking to engage with what’s going on and keep updated in case there’s anything they miss during the live broadcast.

Utilizing ML Algorithms

Including machine learning that can generate new content, ML algorithms also have immense potential to create new ideas that eSports teams and tournament designers can explore. Not only can ML algorithms generate new content and algorithms for new players, but they can also create in-play graphics and gaming ideas.

While this technology hasn’t yet been explored in eSports, some companies are considering using ML algorithms to create spontaneous gaming worlds, testing gamers' ability to adapt to new gaming worlds and platforms in a live environment.

Final Thoughts

These are just a few examples of how AI and eSports will continue to form a valid and longstanding creative partnership. So much money is pouring into both eSports and AI development that it’d be naive to think that these worlds won’t find a suitable middle ground where the technology can be implemented effectively.

It makes sense from a business, technological, and economic perspective. Gaming is one of the most adaptable industries, constantly looking for ways to implement the latest tech. Implementing it is another challenge, but the gaming industry is already up for this task.

With AI permeating almost every other industry, you'd think gaming would be keen to become a market leader in this tech. As eSports continues to grow its influence on the broader gaming industry and proves to be able to morph with these changes, we can see it becoming a formidable partnership that is going to spearhead the subsequent significant changes we see in gaming.