Unity Advances in AI Development Tools with a Focus on Responsible Sourcing

Unity continues to expand its presence in AI development tools, announcing the early access release of Muse at the Unite event. Despite controversy surrounding AI use in game development, Unity remains a strong proponent of integrating AI-powered features into the development process. The company unveiled Muse earlier this year, a suite of features that utilize artificial intelligence to generate content and assist engine users. In an interview, Unity Create President Marc Whitten emphasized the company's pursuit of AI to support developers, stating, "We want them to be able to iterate and experiment faster so they can find the fun in their games and experiences." Whitten highlighted the importance of keeping developers in control, allowing them to choose when to use AI in their workflow. Muse's initial features include Muse Chat, which helps developers find resources across Unity, Muse Sprite for generating 2D sprites, and Muse Texture for creating textures. Upcoming tools include Muse Animate, Muse Behaviour, and Muse Sketch. Unity also plans to launch Unity Sentis, enabling programmers to embed AI models into their games or apps to enhance them across devices. Sentis will debut with Unity 6 in 2024. Addressing concerns about AI training datasets, Whitten assured that Muse Sprite and Muse Texture are trained on data and images owned or licensed by Unity. The company employed a multi-step process, including human oversight and machine learning, to generate safe outputs without copyrighted materials. Whitten emphasized Unity's commitment to managing AI development in a transparent and responsible manner, focusing on delivering easy-to-use tools with confidently sourced outputs. The company will also indemnify developers using Muse tools. The debate over AI in game development has intensified, with Whitten acknowledging concerns about job replacement but emphasizing that Unity Muse is designed to assist creators, not replace them. He reiterated the company's goal of keeping creators in control and at the center of creativity. Following the runtime fee controversy, Unity aims to reassure developers of its commitment to their interests, with a keynote speech highlighting the company's deepened commitment to game development. Whitten expressed Unity's dedication to listening to the community's challenges and providing solutions, stating, "We are here to listen and understand our community’s challenges and provide solutions that help."