Google DeepMind Takes Minority Stake in EVE Online Developer

Google DeepMind has taken a minority stake in the developer of EVE Online and will use the game to study intelligence in complex, dynamic, player-driven systems. The research partnership was announced as the management of the game's developer completed a $120 million buyout from South Korean publisher Pearl Abyss, which had acquired the studio in 2018.

The newly independent company is rebranding as Fenris Creations and said it will continue to operate without any restructuring or layoffs. In a joint statement, the companies said EVE Online presents a uniquely rich environment for study, particularly for developing AI systems that use long-horizon planning, memory, and continual learning.

DeepMind will conduct controlled experiments on its models in a specially designed offline version of the game running on a local server. The experiments will not directly affect the experience of players in the live online game. The two companies will also explore new gameplay experiences enabled by these technologies.

Google DeepMind has previously used games as testing grounds for machine learning models, including Go, Atari VCS games, and StarCraft. The company has more recently begun using virtual world models to help AI systems learn to operate in physical reality.

The developer said in an open letter that EVE Online is one of the few environments where questions about intelligence can be explored inside something that already behaves like a living world. The company added that studying EVE will allow the models to explore difficult problems, long timelines, and strange possibilities.