AI research laboratory Google DeepMind has acquired a minority stake in Icelandic gaming studio Fenris Creations, formerly CCP Games, to support AI research.
Google DeepMind will tap into Fenris Creations’ popular MMO EVE Online for AI research and model training in complex social simulations, focusing on player behavior on isolated EVE Online servers.
Adrian Bolton, Senior Director at Google DeepMind, noted that the game requires skills AI “has not yet fully mastered,” such as long-term planning and continuous learning.
As part of the investment, DeepMind invested an undisclosed amount of money, reportedly amounting to “millions of dollars.”
With the investment, CCP Games was able to buy itself back from Pearl Abyss (Black Desert) for $120 million in cash and cryptocurrency.