NetEase game Justice holds world’s first AI conference, taking place in the hit MMORPG
- NetEase repurposed a scene from its hit MMORPG Justice so AI scientists could meet and share their research
- The International Conference on Distributed Artificial Intelligence previously took place in Beijing, but Covid-19 spoiled the event this year
Outside an entrance marked by towering wooden doors, three armoured warriors in conical hats kept guard. Inside, visitors in ancient garb walked on plush Chinese carpets to the front hall, passing rows of stately armchairs. On the stage, flanked by calligraphy scrolls and ornamental dragons, an invited scholar was about to start his lecture.
His topic? An introduction to artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning.
The occasion was the International Conference on Distributed Artificial Intelligence, an annual gathering of researchers that debuted in Beijing last year. But this year, like millions of other events worldwide, the October event was forced to move online.
The less adventurous of the 300 or so participants could join on Zoom or watch a live video feed on Bilibili, a streaming platform popular among China’s professed geeks. Or they could choose what organisers dubbed the “immersive” experience: attend the event as a virtual character in a blockbuster game.
In most video meetings, you’re either looking at a PowerPoint or a talking head … This is more like an offline conference, but one that saves you time
