Players swiping their way through more than 18,700 levels of Candy Crush Saga might be surprised to learn they are solving puzzles designed with an assist from artificial intelligence (AI).
The app that helped make gamers out of anyone with a smartphone uses AI to help developers create levels to serve a captive audience constantly looking for more confectionery to squash.
King, the Swedish video game developer behind Candy Crush, also uses AI to update older levels to help ensure players do not feel bored, stuck or frustrated as they spend time with the game.
Todd Green, general manager of the Candy Crush franchise, said using AI in that way helps free up developersโ time to create new puzzle boards.
It would be โextremely difficultโ, he said, for designers to update and reconfigure more than 18,000 levels without AI taking a first pass.