Welcome to 'Playing with Inference,' a podcast at the crossroads of AI and gaming. In this episode, we speak with Josh English, the Chief Technology Officer at Series Entertainment, about the intricate economics and challenges of running generative AI systems at scale in the gaming industry.

We dive deep into the cost considerations, strategic resource allocation, and innovative AI mechanics that define category-leading entertainment. Josh shares insights from his experiences working on notable projects, including developing AI-native games for Netflix. He also discusses the importance of balancing rapid experimentation with in-depth cost analysis and the tools and best practices necessary for successful AI integration.

Whether you're a game developer, technologist, or AI enthusiast, this conversation offers valuable takeaways on the evolving landscape of AI in gaming.

00:00 Introduction to Playing with Inference
00:26 Guest Introduction: Josh English
01:45 The Economics of Generative AI in Gaming
03:31 Case Study: Retail Mage
06:33 Cost Management Strategies
09:09 Innovative AI Mechanics and Player Engagement
09:32 Balancing Discovery and Optimization
25:45 Future of AI in Gaming
32:57 The Appeal and Challenges of Dwarf Fortress
33:21 Experimentation in Game Development
34:03 Adoption and Revenue Models in Gaming
35:03 AI Integration in Game Development
36:06 Cost Management and Partnerships
36:47 Leveraging Open Source Models
38:46 The Importance of ML Ops and DevOps
43:29 Balancing Compute and Costs
01:00:47 Iterative Development and Tooling
01:06:26 Final Thoughts and Advice

New episodes of Playing With Inference go up every Tuesday.
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Tags: #podcast #artificialintelligence #gaming #techtrends #futureofgaming #AIinnovation #gamingpodcast #machinelearning #techpodcast #animation #genAI