The Progression of AI-Driven Role-Playing: From Norse Legends to Cutting-Edge AI

In the last few years, the world of AI-assisted storytelling (RP) has experienced a significant evolution. What began as experimental ventures with primitive AI has blossomed into a vibrant ecosystem of applications, platforms, and enthusiasts. This piece investigates the present state of AI RP, from popular platforms to innovative techniques.

The Rise of AI RP Platforms

Various services have emerged as favored hubs for AI-powered narrative creation and role-play. These allow users to participate in both traditional RP and more risqué ERP (sensual storytelling) scenarios. Avatars like Stheno, or user-generated entities like Lumimaid have become community darlings.

Meanwhile, other websites have gained traction for sharing and circulating "character cards" – pre-made AI personalities that users can engage. The Backyard AI community has been notably active in crafting and sharing these cards.

Innovations in Language Models

The swift progression of large language models (LLMs) has been a crucial factor of AI RP's expansion. Models like LLaMA CPP and the fabled "Mythomax" (a speculative future model) showcase the growing potential of AI in producing logical and environmentally cognizant responses.

AI personalization has become a vital technique for adjusting these models to unique RP scenarios or character personalities. This approach allows for more nuanced and consistent interactions.

The Push for Privacy and Control

As AI RP has grown in popularity, so too has the demand for privacy and user control. This has led to the rise of "private LLMs" and local hosting solutions. Various "LLM hosting" services have sprung up to satisfy this need.

Endeavors like Undi and implementations of NeuralCore.cpp have made it possible for users to run powerful language models on their local machines. This "self-hosted model" approach attracts those worried about data privacy or those who simply enjoy tinkering with AI systems.

Various tools have grown in favor as accessible options for deploying local models, including impressive 70B parameter versions. These more sophisticated models, while GPU-demanding, offer enhanced capabilities for complex RP scenarios.

Breaking New Ground and Investigating New Frontiers

The AI RP community is known for its inventiveness and eagerness to push boundaries. Tools like Cognitive Vector Control allow for fine-grained control over AI outputs, potentially leading to more dynamic and surprising characters.

Some users pursue "unrestricted" or "obliterated" models, aiming for maximum creative freedom. However, this provokes ongoing moral discussions within the community.

Niche platforms have surfaced to serve specific niches or provide alternative approaches to AI interaction, often with a focus on "data protection" policies. Companies like recursal.ai and featherless.ai are among those exploring innovative approaches in this space.

The Future of AI RP

As we anticipate the future, several trends are emerging:

Heightened focus on self-hosted and secure AI solutions
Development of more sophisticated and optimized models (e.g., rumored 70B models)
Exploration of novel techniques like "eternal memory" for preserving long-term context
Integration of AI with other technologies (VR, voice synthesis) for more read more lifelike experiences
Characters like Euryvale hint at the possibility for AI to generate entire imaginary realms and expansive narratives.

The AI RP domain remains a crucible of advancement, with groups like Backyard AI expanding the limits of what's possible. As GPU technology progresses and techniques like quantization enhance performance, we can expect even more impressive AI RP experiences in the coming years.

Whether you're a casual role-player or a committed "neural engineer" working on the next innovation in AI, the domain of AI-powered RP offers endless possibilities for imagination and exploration.