• by Colin Kirkland , 4 hours ago

Following its recent decision to become a privately traded company, video-game manufacturer Electronic Arts has announced a partnership with Stability AI to “co-develop” AI models, tools, and workflows that are intended to transform the process of creating gaming content. 

Stability AI, which is best known for its text-to-image model “Stable Diffusion,” will work with EA Sports to build what Steve Kestell, head of technical art for EA, called “smarter paintbrushes” in a recent statement. 

These new creative AI tools -- described as “physically based rendering materials” -- aim to generate 2D textures “that maintain exact color and light accuracy across any environment, and in-game assets.”

“Whether it’s the flash of color of a football jersey under a floodlit stadium or the subtle gleam of a coffee table in soft morning light, these textures help objects in a virtual world look and feel as the artist envisioned,” EA Sports’ statement reads. 

With the help of Stability AI, developers will be able to create these details faster and with higher quality, the company says.

In addition, EA says, the tools have the ability to “pre-visualize entire 3D environments from a series of intentional prompts,” highlighting the capability of Stability AI’s swath of 3D-generation models beyond its diffusion model.

In its statement, EA adds that humans will remain “at the center of storytelling” as it attempts to make AI into a “trusted ally” that expands efficiency and creative possibilities for game developers, artists and designers.

AI “can draft, generate, and analyze, but it can’t imagine, empathize, or dream,” the company adds.