Conference Agenda

This systematic review analyses the impact of artificial intelligence on the design and improvement of interactive experiences in video games, identifying applied techniques, benefits achieved, and persistent limitations. The study was structured using the PICOC approach, formulating five research questions related to current constraints, AI methods employed, comparison with traditional approaches, specific advantages, and application scenarios. The literature search was conducted in Scopus and external sources using Boolean combinations of terms associated with artificial intelligence and video games. After applying the PRISMA protocol and rigorous inclusion and exclusion criteria, forty studies published between 2021 and 2025 were selected. The results show that AI has a significant impact in five main areas: procedural content generation, reinforcement learning, generative AI, affective computing, and hybrid approaches. These techniques show substantial increases in productivity, player engagement, NPC behavioural diversity, reduced development times, expanded conversational options, and user retention. However, significant challenges remain, particularly related to narrative consistency, content validation, and the partial reduction of designers' creative control. Overall, the findings confirm that the strategic incorporation of AI constitutes a paradigm shift in video game development, rather than an incremental improvement. The future of the sector will depend on hybrid approaches that balance automation and human creativity, as well as longitudinal studies, robust ethical frameworks, and the exploration of applications in emerging environments such as metaverses.