Disney Develops AI-Powered Characters for More Natural Conversations

Walt Disney World is exploring technology to create more natural conversations between guests and its characters. A patent has been filed for a system that uses artificial intelligence and stored information to determine what a character should say next, rather than relying on pre-recorded responses.

The current method of using limited dialogue trees can make interactions feel robotic and unnatural, but the new technology could change this. Disney's goal is to create characters that sound like they are having real conversations with guests.

This technology has the potential to replace traditional versions of dozens of classic characters, including Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Olaf, and Stitch. However, it does not necessarily mean that human performers will be replaced, but rather that robotic characters could be introduced in areas where meet-and-greets don't work well.

Disney has already experimented with roaming characters, such as droids in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland, and an Olaf animatronic in World of Frozen. The new patent takes this idea further by allowing characters to access a memory bank and generate conversations that make sense within the Disney universe.