Pixels and Parables: A Gaming Approach to Virtue Cultivation

Introduction and Overview:

The interactive nature of video games, particularly in role-playing games (RPGs), presents a unique opportunity to influence players’ ethical perspectives and behavior. The design of NPCs in these environments is a critical factor in this process. NPCs can serve as digital mentors, antagonists, or bystanders, each playing a role in the player’s moral journey. Given the immersive nature of video games, which command hours of engagement from users, the ethical considerations that go into their design are paramount. With advances in generative AI, the complexity and scale of ethical scenarios are no longer limited to pre-scripted content. For example, advanced algorithms could be developed to generate ethical scenarios within games, involving complex decision trees that present players with morally ambiguous situations. These algorithms should be designed to assess player responses and adjust NPC behavior accordingly, facilitating an interactive and evolving ethical dialogue.This proposal, therefore, aims to explore the synthesis of generative AI with ethical theory, moral psychology, and cognitive science to create NPCs in video games that facilitate virtue cultivation in users. By leveraging my research in moral philosophy, theological ethics, and the biocultural study of moral development, I will examine the ethical dimensions of generative AI in this domain, contributing to the eventual creation of characters and scenarios capable of acting as catalysts for moral growth. Generative AI is particularly important in this context as it offers adaptive and personalized experiences that can positively augment moral reasoning in players of all ages.

While my primary focus is on video game environments, the insights gained from this research could provide valuable information that extends well beyond the realm of digital gaming. As generative AI becomes more prominent in various sectors, particularly in healthcare and therapeutic settings, the principles and methodologies developed with respect to character design will have more implications for human-AI interactions. Just as in-game characters can be created to purposefully facilitate empathy in players (See the Last of Us Parts I and II), the same technologies can be utilized in healthcare contexts to improve patient satisfaction and strengthen their adherence to treatment plans. In behavioral therapy, AI systems programmed to exhibit particular forms of moral agency and intersubjective responsiveness may well enable patients who have social anxiety or lack access to in-person care to practice their social skills, explore personal dilemmas with a trusted and interactive resource, and reflect on their values and decisions in a safe and controlled environment. Additionally, these games, particularly if adapted to operate on mobile devices, could serve as a supplemental resource for displaced and/or marginalized children who may lack traditional educational opportunities. The recent grant awarded to the creators of Sesame Street for programming targeted toward refugee children demonstrates this potential.

Methodology: 

Create a Text-based Game Interface: Use Python and Flask (or any simple web framework) to develop a basic text-based game that can run on a local server. This game will present ethical dilemmas to players and collect their textual responses. The setup involves two key AI models:

• Ethical Assessment AI (EAAI): This AI, likely leveraging GPT-4 or a similar model, is designed to evaluate players' decisions within the game, determining whether their actions align more closely with virtue or vice. The assessment criteria will be deeply rooted in theological ethical frameworks, which provide a rich source of virtues and vices for evaluation. The EAAI's task is complex, as it requires interpreting player choices not just on the surface level but understanding the ethical implications behind these decisions.
• Narrative Guidance AI (NGAI): In response to the EAAI's analysis, the NGAI takes on the role of modifying the game's storyline and challenges. If a player's choices lean towards virtue, the NGAI might present scenarios that reinforce this behavior or introduce new challenges that test the player's commitment to virtuous paths. Conversely, if a player veers towards vice, the NGAI could adjust the narrative to highlight the consequences of such choices, potentially encouraging reflection and redemption.

Ethical Dilemmas and Theological Ethics Integration: Pre-design ethical dilemmas within the game's script that embody theological ethical teachings. Research to embed principles that reflect moral complexities found in religious traditions, ensuring that these dilemmas engage players in meaningful ethical reflection.

AI Response Analysis and Narrative Adjustment: I will use basic conditional logic and sentiment analysis through OpenAI's model to interpret player responses and decide the ethical alignment. Then, based on this alignment, script a variety of narrative outcomes that the game can present to the player, encouraging further reflection and decision-making.

The integration of theological ethics will be achieved through the development of ethical dilemmas and character designs that reflect moral complexities and virtues identified within religious traditions.

Expected Outcomes:

• Insights into the potential of AI to facilitate moral reasoning and virtue cultivation in digital environments.
• A framework for incorporating theological ethical principles into AI-driven video game design.
• Recommendations for the video game industry on ethical design practices that promote positive moral outcomes.

Conclusion:

Integrating ethical design into AI technologies represents a shift in how we use technology that will likely rival the historical and cultural impact of the Industrial Revolution. Rather than viewing AI as a mere facilitator of tasks, we can approach it as a partner in our personal development. This reimagining of technology’s role could lead to AI that not only performs time-saving functions but also enriches our lives by encouraging the facilitation of virtues in everyday digital interactions, providing scenarios that help us navigate complex moral landscapes and “test” our responses while dually offering support and guidance in moments of moral uncertainty.