An old Xbox AI patent is going viral for the wrong reasons — assistive tech is actually one of the best use case scenarios for AI

Following Microsoft's recent announcement that Xbox head Phil Spencer is retiring and the company's CoreAI Product president Asha Sharma is stepping up to fill the role of Microsoft Gaming CEO, a patent the firm filed that describes helpers — human or AI — stepping in to assist players when they get stuck on difficult in-game challenges has rapidly become the target of public scrutiny.

Some have run with the idea that this represents the start of aggressive AI expansion into the Xbox gaming experience on consoles and PC by Sharma. Something that needs to be understood, however, is that this patent was filed by Microsoft in 2024, long before Sharma entered her new position.

The "State management for video game help sessions" patent itself describes a process in which a system recognizes when you're struggling with a particular game segment, encounter, or puzzle, and offers you a choice to connect with a helper. If you accept it, the system saves your game and a helper briefly takes control of the game over the cloud and completes what you're stuck on for you, explaining how they did so over text chat.

Notably, the patented system includes the option for players to immediately get control of the game back from a helper at any time if they want it. It also mentions machine learning that determines when assistance should be offered and how long it lasts, which would hopefully ensure the system doesn't feel intrusive.

I am by no means a fan of generative AI in any form, especially in video games, which is the media that I care the most about. But I have to say, out of all the ways AI could be used for development and/or integrated into the gaming experience, this seems like one of the least harmful ones. It's not just Microsoft, by the way — PlayStation maker Sony filed a similar patent last year for an "AI generated ghost player" that would guide players through difficult scenarios.

Now, it could still feel quite invasive if the help offers were aggressive and in your face all the time; as someone who greatly enjoys friction in games and learning how to overcome it, nothing annoys me more than when I'm treated like a child that can't figure things out.

But the system, as it's been described thus far, doesn't sound like it'd be shoving help from an AI down my throat. Rather, it seems like the option would just be there if I wanted it after struggling for a while, which presents some clear benefits for approachability and accessibility.

On the other hand, having an assistant take the reins and overcome a challenge for you stops you from enjoying the satisfaction of doing it yourself. But that option has always been available in some form. We've had it since the 1980s, when Nintendo had a "Power Line" you could call for game tips, and game guides have been around for decades.

Debates about the availability and use of aids like these will rage on forever; people still argue about FromSoftware ARPGs like Dark Souls and their lack of an easy mode. But they've always been a thing, and this new system is an evolution of the concept. It's true that nothing before has ever executed gameplay for you like this would...but as long as I have options to ignore it and take control back when I want it, I ultimately feel like the idea here is okay.

Over to you!

How do you feel about the system Microsoft patented? Are you okay with the idea of human or AI helpers briefly taking control of your game to help you through a tough section, or are you opposed to a system like that existing? I'm curious to hear your thoughts, so share them in the comments!

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