The pop-culture license-focused third-person online battle royale juggernaut Fortnite has added a Darth Vader AI character into the game. Recently leaked by an insider source, Google Gemini, ElevenLabs, and Fortnite are all testing AI voice conversations, with Fortnite‘s being focused on players in game through voice and text chat. This seemingly sci-fi future feature is made even more dystopian by the fact that they have chosen to test it out using Darth Vader!
Vader reacts to player requests for aid and responds to conversational prompts and phrases using his AI programming. Currently, children require parental permission to use the feature, which is probably a smart play as it is still in early testing stages.
This AI Darth Vader can respond to players, interject with unprompted dialogue to feel more realistic, summarize gameplay events, join and leave a player’s squad, and warn players of incoming threats, among other things.
Fortnite has restricted Darth Vader’s AI, to not allow the discussion of sexual language or activity, V-bucks, the harming of children, or say more than two lines from non-Disney/Star Wars Media. Funnier than that, the AI is not permitted to engage in romantic relationships with the player and has been trained to direct players to get professional help if they seem anxious, sad, or depressed.
Players will have to visit Vader’s “Samurai Solitude” in Fortnite and defeat him in battle. Once he’s defeated, get recruited by him and the Darth Vader AI will join the player’s squad. As soon as he’s in your squad, you can have as many scientifically manufactured discussions and distressingly futuristic conversations you want to have with him.
Do you think this is a cool feature? Will you be interacting with AI Darth Vader in the game? Perhaps it’s the beginning of the end for truly organic social interactions? Let us know what you think in the comments before Skynet takes over.
