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Cover of S07, E16: AI and video games (with Julian Togelius)
45 min
Mobile Dev Memo45 min

S07, E16: AI and video games (with Julian Togelius)

Video games function as critical model organisms for artificial intelligence research, serving as sophisticated pedagogical environments that force agents to learn, adapt, and navigate complex, non-stationary action spaces.

  • Generative AI tools will fundamentally shift game development by enabling shorter production cycles and lower costs, potentially making billion-dollar projects like GTA 6 the last of the pre-AI era.
  • Video games serve as essential sandboxes for AI research because they provide structured environments for testing reinforcement learning and algorithmic theories, moving beyond simple win-loss mechanics to understanding player style and content generation.
  • Consumer backlash against AI-generated assets, such as the reaction to placeholder textures in Crimson Desert, is often a proxy for broader societal anxiety regarding AI's impact on creative professions rather than a critique of the technical utility of the assets.
Mobile Dev MemoMay 2026
Cover of Session: How Does Duolingo Drive Growth At Scale Without Losing Speed Or Quality? - Osman Mansur.
23 min
PocketGamer.biz23 min

Session: How Does Duolingo Drive Growth At Scale Without Losing Speed Or Quality? - Osman Mansur.

Duolingo maintains its position as a leading language-learning platform by fostering a culture of rigorous experimentation and data-driven product development.

  • Duolingo scales its user base by maintaining a 'green machine' culture of continuous A/B testing across all product surfaces to identify and rapidly deploy successful interventions.
  • The company prioritizes long-term retention over short-term monetization, evidenced by the success of over 10 million users maintaining learning streaks of 365 days or more.
  • Growth strategy is driven by a sophisticated model that segments users and focuses resources on high-leverage metrics, such as the 'inactive weekly active user return rate' (IWAR), to boost daily active users.
PocketGamer.bizFeb 2026