The term "game AI" is used to refer to a broad set of algorithms that also include techniques from control theory, robotics, computer graphics and computer science in general, and so video game AI may often not constitute "true AI" in that such techniques do not necessarily facilitate computer learning or other standard criteria, only constituting "automated computation" or a predetermined and limited set of responses to a predetermined and limited set of inputs. 4.1 In computer simulations of board games.However, "game AI" does not, in general, as might be thought and sometimes is depicted to be the case, mean a realization of an artificial person corresponding to an NPC, in the manner of say, the Turing test or an artificial general intelligence. AI is often used in mechanisms which are not immediately visible to the user, such as data mining and procedural-content generation. Modern games often implement existing techniques such as pathfinding and decision trees to guide the actions of NPCs. During the golden age of arcade video games the idea of AI opponents was largely popularized in the form of graduated difficulty levels, distinct movement patterns, and in-game events dependent on the player's input. It serves to improve the game-player experience rather than machine learning or decision making. AI in video games is a distinct subfield and differs from academic AI.
Artificial intelligence has been an integral part of video games since their inception in the 1950s. In video games, artificial intelligence (AI) is used to generate responsive, adaptive or intelligent behaviors primarily in non-player characters (NPCs) similar to human-like intelligence. Overview of the use of artificial intelligence in video gaming