As the industry becomes more attuned to the capabilities of AI, companies are looking for the best ways to incorporate the technology into their products.
For Live Solutions, this has taken the form of AI presenters for their casino games.
“Our AI presenters are a new initiative to work alongside our live hosts,” says Houareau. “They will manage the game action and keep players informed just like a live host would.”
Houareau says this improves communication between operators and players, particularly as the messages are personalised to the player.
“AI presenters offer huge benefits as they give operators the ability to communicate with their players,” he explains. “AI presenters can target a particular player and give them a specific message.
“For example, a player can be reminded during a game that they need to provide KYC documentation to the operator.”
Personalised or depersonalised?
Using an AI presenter allows operators to be more attentive to their players’ needs, as AI can utilise automation.
“AI presenters can operate around the clock, offering uninterrupted assistance to players,” explains Houareau. “This accessibility is particularly valuable where players may be in different time zones and speak a multitude of languages.”
And for those that aren’t wooed by the personalisation elements, the anonymity of the AI presenter might prove attractive.
“Interacting with an AI presenter can provide a level of privacy and anonymity that some players may prefer,” he continues. “AI presenters can make decisions based solely on objective rules and algorithms, which can enhance transparency and fairness.”
The human element
Everywhere you look, questions are being raised about whether using AI can trump human interaction.
Houareau believes the benefits outweigh the cons.
“AI presenters don’t require training,” he says. “Once developed and deployed, they can handle numerous interactions simultaneously.”
He adds that AI has the capability to “handle a high volume of transactions without the limitations of human resources”. This, he says, “allows operators to accommodate a larger number of players”.
But this doesn’t mean it’s foolproof – especially in that grey area between what is real and what is supposed. “The use of an AI presenter that looks and sounds like a specific living person, such as a celebrity, can potentially raise copyright and intellectual property concerns,” Houareau explains.
With concerns around intellectual property and copyright infringement, then, having a watertight contract between operators and ambassadors is crucial.
“As long as the operator has a contract in place with said person or celebrity to use their image, there should be no issue,” Houareau continues.
“Using an AI presenter that closely resembles or imitates a celebrity without their permission could potentially infringe upon these rights, so we would always insist that the proper release clauses are in place before developing a bespoke AI presenter.”
Incorporating AI into future plans
Although the AI presenters are now live, this isn’t the end of the road for their development. More tweaks are coming.
“Some of the future enhancements that we are looking into include enhancing the realism of the AI presenter to provide a more immersive gambling experience, which could involve improving facial expressions, body language and voice modulation to create a more human-like interaction,” Houareau reveals.
As well as improving their designs, Live Solutions is also looking into “incorporating responsible gambling features into AI presenter technology to help identify signs of problem gambling or excessive risk-taking behaviour.”
“This could include features like time and spending limits, personalised recommendations for breaks, or even providing resources for support, all articulated in a humanlike way through the AI presenters.”
Whichever way AI presenters could develop, Houareau believes the limitlessness and scale of AI will offer more opportunities as the technology progresses.
“The possibilities are endless and we are excited to be part of the AI evolution.”