The world of Tamriel is vast and open, but you can only hear the same pre-recorded barks so many times. A new Skyrim VR ChatGPT mod aims to fix this, allowing you to actually converse with the citizens of The Elder Scrolls’ world.
Created by YouTuber Art From The Machine, the Skyrim VR ChatGPT mod turns the already brilliant Skyrim game into one of the most immersive RPGs yet.
In the new mod, players use ChatGPT to have full conversations with NPCs dotted around the world of Skyrim. Not only can you engage in the same scripted conversations as before, but also brand-new ones with AI voice acting.
For the mod, Art From The Machine crafted tailored prompts for specific characters within the RPG’s world. Furthermore, a memory system was implemented to make sure that characters always knew who they were as well as past conversations with the player.
The newest version of the YouTuber’s mod adds additional awareness to the NPCs of Skyrim. This means that characters can now accurately tell you the time of day, comment on items you pick up, and even know where they are.
However, there are obvious downsides to the Skyrim VR ChatGPT mod. NPC dialogue in the mod uses AI voice clones to convert ChatGPTs responses into audible words, and the presentation leads a lot to be desired.
While the controversial technology has created lifelike AI song covers and even been used to fake kidnappings, it still has obvious tells when used. For example, a fireside chat with a companion has some rather realistic responses, but the generated voice always sounds robotic.
For a series known for its wooden voice acting and robotic-sounding NPCs, the game’s ChatGPT mod exacerbates this far more than the real game ever did. It’s interesting: AI characters can match tone and cadence, but rarely ever fully.
Nevertheless, as far as mods go, this is an interesting addition to Skyrim as an alternative. As for the future of RPGs, though? Well, it depends how many people want to spend time having generated, oftentimes lore-inaccurate conversions with virtual people. Someone out there wants it.