The Progression of AI-Driven Role-Playing: From Ancient Myths to Local 70B Models
In recent years, the world of AI-powered role-playing (RP) has seen a significant evolution. What originated as niche experiments with early language models has grown into a thriving community of applications, platforms, and user groups. This overview explores the existing environment of AI RP, from popular platforms to innovative techniques.
The Growth of AI RP Platforms
Various platforms have emerged as favored focal points for AI-assisted storytelling and character interaction. These allow users to experience both traditional RP and more mature ERP (erotic role-play) scenarios. Characters like Euryvale, or user-generated entities like Midnight Miqu have become popular choices.
Meanwhile, other platforms have gained traction for hosting and sharing "character cards" – ready-to-use digital personas that users can engage. The Backyard AI community has been particularly active in crafting and distributing these cards.
Advancements in Language Models
The swift development of advanced AI systems (LLMs) has been a key driver of AI RP's expansion. Models like LLaMA CPP and the mythical "HyperVerbal" (a speculative future model) demonstrate the expanding prowess of AI in generating consistent and context-aware responses.
Model customization has become a crucial technique for tailoring these models to unique RP scenarios or character personalities. This approach allows for more nuanced and reliable interactions.
The Movement for Privacy and Control
As AI RP has grown in popularity, so too has the demand for confidentiality and individual oversight. This has here led to the development of "private LLMs" and on-premise model deployment. Various "LLM hosting" services have emerged to address this need.
Initiatives like NeverSleep and implementations of CogniScript.cpp have made it achievable for users to run powerful language models on their own hardware. This "local LLM" approach appeals to those concerned about data privacy or those who simply appreciate experimenting with AI systems.
Various tools have become widely adopted as accessible options for deploying local models, including powerful 70B parameter versions. These more complex models, while GPU-demanding, offer improved performance for elaborate RP scenarios.
Breaking New Ground and Venturing into New Frontiers
The AI RP community is celebrated for its innovation and eagerness to challenge limits. Tools like Orthogonal Activation Steering allow for fine-grained control over AI outputs, potentially leading to more dynamic and surprising characters.
Some users pursue "unrestricted" or "obliterated" models, targeting maximum creative freedom. However, this provokes ongoing moral discussions within the community.
Specialized tools 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 becoming apparent:
Growing focus on local and private AI solutions
Advancement of more capable and optimized models (e.g., rumored 70B models)
Exploration of groundbreaking techniques like "perpetual context" for maintaining long-term context
Fusion of AI with other technologies (VR, voice synthesis) for more engaging experiences
Characters like Euryvale hint at the possibility for AI to produce entire imaginary realms and expansive narratives.
The AI RP domain remains a hotbed of advancement, with communities like Backyard AI expanding the limits of what's attainable. 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 limitless potential for innovation and exploration.