Niantic unveils major new AI update to Peridot that lets you ‘talk’ with your Dot

• Peridot’s new update means you can speak to your Dots and even have them respond
• They’ll give simple responses using emojis and expressions to what you say or type
• It’s the second major AI integration that Niantic have made into their original AR title

Niantic has unveiled a ‘game-changing’ new update to their AR virtual pet game Peridot. The new update leverages AI to let you ‘talk’ with your Dots, interpreting what you say and letting them reply with basic gestures and responses. This is done by utilising an LLM (large language model) and a custom version of Meta’s Llama 2 in order to interpret what you say and then formulate a response for the Dot.

It’s not the first time that Niantic has integrated generative AI into Peridot, as they previously introduced new features like Feral Dots, Dot Levels and more to make their wide-eyed little critters feel even more natural. However, they’re really eager to show off all the adorable reactions your Dots can give just from your voice or text inputs. 

Let’s talk Dots

Admittedly, AI scepticism aside, this does look like a fairly impressive update for Peridot. One of the most appealing aspects of AR virtual-pet simulators like this is not just the ability to collect colourful critters, but also to treat them like real pets. And while they may not be holding full conversations with you, the ability to formulate even simple responses is pretty neat. But revolutionary? We’re not so sure, and we’ll have to see this update in action to know what it means for the future of Peridot.

While Niantic implies this wraps up their latest round of AI integration, we wouldn’t be surprised that – if successful – the developer decides to come up with even more ways to bring it into Peridot. We’ll be interested to see just how far they go, and what might be next on the cards.

Want to check out more of Niantic’s impressive AR catalogue? Take a look at the hit Monster Hunter Now, or maybe branch out a bit more and check out our top 5 new mobile games of the week to try out for yourself!