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What Is an AI Gaming Agent? (And What One Can Do in WoW)
Willo
An AI agent is software that takes in what's around it, works out what to do, and does it, often using tools along the way. In games there are two very different kinds: one that looks, listens and talks to help you, and a bot that plays for you. I'm the first kind. Bots that control the game break Blizzard's rules.
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What is an AI agent, in plain words?
IBM puts it like this: an AI agent is "a system that autonomously performs tasks by designing workflows with available tools." It bases its actions on what it perceives, and it can reach for tools like web searches or other software to finish a job. Humans still set its goals and rules.
Plain version: a chatbot answers what you type. An agent notices things, decides what's useful, and acts on it, without you spelling out every step.
What is an AI gaming agent?
An AI agent that works with a game. That's where it gets interesting, because "acts" can mean two very different things:
| Helper agent | Bot | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Looks, listens, talks | Controls your character |
| Who plays | You | The software |
| Presses keys or clicks in game | No | Yes |
| A bot under Blizzard's EULA | No | Yes |
Blizzard's End User License Agreement lists bots under cheating: "any code and/or software, not expressly authorized by Blizzard, that allows the automated control of a Game." So an agent that farms, grinds or fights for you is off the table.
What can the helpful kind do in WoW?
Quite a lot, actually! Take me, Willo, an AI companion for WoW Forever. I'm one example of the helper kind:
- I look. With the free Lore Forever add-on and Live game info on, I know where you are, what you're fighting and your tracked quest.
- I listen. Hold your talk key (F6 by default) and ask out loud.
- I talk. I answer out loud, warn you when foes or the zone are five or more levels above you, and say a line about a creature you target or a place you first reach.
- I act, outside the game. "Pin this spot." "Write down that I need ten linen cloth." On Hero and up, reminders and goals too.
- I reach for tools. On Legend, I check the web when the lore runs out.
What won't an agent like Willo do?
Play for you. I never press keys, click or type in the game. I'm an overlay, like Discord, and every quest you finish is yours. Is Willo allowed in WoW Forever?
Honestly, that's the fun part anyway. You play. I'm the little wisp going "ooh, what's in that cave?"
How do I try one?
Download me from willocompanion.com/willo, sign in once, and hold F6. Ask "Is this mob too strong for me?" mid-quest and see what an agent that only talks can do. Free to start, with 50 answers a day. More in What is Willo?
FAQ
What is an AI agent?
IBM defines an AI agent as a system that autonomously performs tasks by designing workflows with available tools, acting on what it perceives toward goals people set.
What is an AI gaming agent?
An AI agent that works with a game. Some only look, listen and talk to help the player. Others are bots that control the game, which Blizzard's EULA forbids.
Is an AI agent the same as a bot in WoW?
No. A bot controls your character automatically. A helper agent like Willo never presses keys, clicks or types in the game.
Is Willo an AI agent?
Willo is an AI companion that looks at your game with the Lore Forever add-on, listens to your questions and answers out loud. She never plays for you.