In this episode of the ODSC Podcast, Alex Landa, the head of content at ODSC, interviews Nick Walton, CEO and co-founder of Latitude and creator of the groundbreaking AI-powered storytelling game, AI Dungeon. Nick shares his journey from machine learning for self-driving cars to reimagining interactive fiction through generative models. They dive into the challenges and magic of building persistent, emergent game worlds with AI, and discuss how AI enables new modes of player agency and storytelling that go far beyond traditional game mechanics.

🔥 Key Topics Covered:

-The origin story of AI Dungeon and how GPT-2 sparked its creation

-How AI Dungeon enables open-ended, player-driven storytelling

-Technical and creative challenges in AI gaming: model curation, memory, and narrative tension

-What makes AI-generated characters compelling and emotionally resonant

-The upcoming game engine Latitude is building to power rich, persistent AI-driven worlds

-How AI can unlock new creative possibilities for indie and non-technical game creators

-Multiplayer and long-term visions for dynamic, socially evolving AI worlds

-Ethical considerations in using AI for gaming and storytelling

Memorable Outtakes:

💬 Nick Walton: “If every dwarf you meet is a gruff miner whose clan got eaten by goblins, it gets a little old after a while... you need higher variation.”

💬 Nick Walton: “You’re not just playing a game. You're building a story, and when loss happens, it becomes meaningful. That's the magic of AI Dungeon.”

💬 Nick Walton: “We’re building not just a game, but a living world—one where your choices shape everything, and the AI evolves with you.”

💬  Alex (Host): “It’s not about replacing anyone—it’s about creating something entirely new that couldn't exist without AI.”

🖥 References & Resources:

- AI Dungeon: https://aidungeon.com

-Latitude (Nick’s company): https://latitude.io

-Whispers from the Star (AI game mentioned): https://store.steampowered.com/app/3730100/Whispers_from_the_Star/

-Nick Walton’s X (Twitter) profile: https://twitter.com/nickwalton00

-Nick Walton’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/waltonnick/

-Nick Walton's profile on Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/person/nick-walton

-AI Dungeon Dev Blog: https://latitude.io/blog

🌟 Sponsored by:

The Agentic AI Summit 2025

Attend the premier virtual event for AI builders from July 16–31. Gain hands-on skills in designing, deploying, and scaling autonomous AI agents.

🔥 Use code podcast for 10% off any ticket.

Register now: https://www.summit.ai/

ODSC West 2025 – The Leading AI Training Conference

Join us in San Francisco from October 28–30 for expert-led sessions on generative AI, LLMOps, and AI-driven automation.

🔥 Use code podcast for 10% off any ticket.

Learn more: https://odsc.com/california