Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) has been my go-to hobby for over 40 years, and I’m excited to explore its potential beyond the gaming world. Recently, Meta used D&D source books to train generative AI, sparking interesting discussions about the role of D&D in the post-industrial economy.
The new edition of the Players Handbook has made significant changes, including moving away from “races” to “species” and detaching character statistics from that aspect. This change is a long-overdue update in my opinion, as it clarifies that orcs and elves are not separate races. The 2024 Handbook is the fastest-selling D&D book in history, and I’m not surprised – its changes have improved the tabletop game for both DMs and players.
As someone who has played D&D since before it was cool, I’m thrilled to see the connection between D&D and AI training. However, this raises concerns about hallucinations in LLMs (large language models). These errors are not only embarrassing but also have real-world consequences, as seen in recent cases like Air Canada’s court case against its AI-powered chatbot.
Despite these challenges, researchers continue to explore ways to mitigate hallucinations using Small Language Models (SLMs), which are trained on fewer parameters and are more practical for individual use cases. A new paper from Google Deepmind shows that search-based planning can improve LLMs’ playing strength in board games, minimizing hallucinations in the process.
D&D Beyond Games: Social Capital
The connection between D&D and social capital is also intriguing. As Pew Research points out, D&D is a precursor to the metaverse – an imaginary creative space of social interaction and storytelling. By bringing people together, D&D can address tough questions about the economy and society.
Andy Haldane’s article on social capital in the Financial Times highlights the erosion of community and its consequences on growth, loneliness, and social mobility. I couldn’t agree more, and I believe that games like D&D and Warhammer have a lot to teach corporate Britain.
To boost social capital, we need to get people interacting face-to-face again. Let’s stop kids playing AI-generated monsters in their 3D headsets and encourage them to work together against real-world challenges. A national D&D strategy could be just what we need to revitalize community and foster cooperation.
As the world continues to navigate AI innovation, I’d like to propose a bold idea – let’s make D&D a cornerstone of our social capital strategy. I’m ready to answer the nation’s call and explore the vast potential of this beloved hobby.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidbirch/2024/12/27/hallucinations-and-hope-dungeons-and-dragons-ai-and-the-new-economy