Co-creative Interactive Narratives in the Age of GenAI
In this keynote, we explore the evolving landscape of interactive digital narratives (IDNs) by examining the emerging possibilities of co-creating with AI. I will start by considering the rich history of creatively using systems and machines for storytelling – such as tarot, I-Ching, RPGs, MUDs and others which blend generative aspects and audience participation.
In the present day, machine-learning approaches such as small and large language models (SLM and LLMs) have further transformed the landscape of IDNs. These tools grant access to vast reservoirs of knowledge, allowing creators to experiment with storytelling structures from cultures beyond their own. This keynote will examine critical questions: How valuable are machines in crafting IDNs compared to narratives drawn from human creativity and lived experience? What does it mean for construction of stories when audiences are increasingly able to infuse their personal stories—known as “bleed”—into the narrative? How can we creatively and ethically use Generative AI and co-create fitting representations of the human condition for the 21st century?
Mirjam Palosaari Eladhari is an Associate Professor at the Department of Computer and System Sciences at Stockholm University and a resident scholar at the University of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm (Konstfack). Her research centers on AI-based game design and interactive narratives, with a primary focus on co-creation. She explores how interactors can contribute to games and narratives to reflect on their own existence and discover new perspectives. Her work spans various application areas, including tabletop story-making games and games for mental health. She has worked on interactive experiences since the late 1990s (initially as a game programmer), did her PhD on agents and narratives in virtual worlds, and was instrumental in a team of scholars which coined the expression “AI-based game design” in 2011.