Is Modern AI The Legacy Of Quake? This Machine Learning Expert Thinks So

Artificial intelligence (AI) took the world by storm in 2023, and it could very well dominate the discourse in 2024, too. But does modern AI have to thank the iconic first-person shooting game Quake?

What Happened: AI's vast dependence on graphics processing units (GPU) has been a critical aspect in the development of this industry – both on the AI side of things, as well as for the topline of companies like Nvidia Corp. NVDA and Advanced Micro Devices AMD, among others.

The original Quake game was released back in 1996. It popularized 3D gaming with its 360-degree views and set the tone for modern games for years to come. Modern-day gaming features like "clans" and truly popularized the concept of multiplayer gaming, making it an extremely popular first-person shooter.

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All these features required id Software – the developer behind Quake and Doom, among others – to use GPU features more extensively. It was the first game to support hardware-accelerated graphics rendering, significantly improving visuals and the overall gaming experience.

Quake brings back many memories for those born in the 1970s, 80s, or even 90s. Gartner's former machine learning chief, Andriy Burkov, has credited Quake for making modern AI possible.

"Modern AI has become possible thanks to this game: the first really 3D first-person shooter that benefited from a GPU," he said.

Since then, GPUs have come a long way. From running games like Quake to now training massive neural networks on massive datasets for large-language models, the evolution of GPUs has been staggering.

Why It Matters: GPUs are now powering advanced, cutting-edge technologies like AI. From advancements in the healthcare sector to revolutionizing industries, AI holds a lot of potential. Even Microsoft Corp. MSFT co-founder Bill Gates thinks AI will supercharge innovation that humanity stands to benefit from immensely.

Perhaps Quake's popularity and advanced 3D mechanics back in the 1990s helped boost the adoption of GPUs and, therefore, innovation by GPU makers like Nvidia and others.

Image Source – Shutterstock

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