The Slovenian conversational AI assistant PlayBuddy, developed by the Retoba laboratory for the Play123 platform, has been recognized by AI Gamechangers, an international publication that monitors breakthrough innovations in the field of artificial intelligence within the video game industry. In an interview, Play123’s CEO Tine Koloini revealed details about the system’s development and the key technological and content-related challenges the team faced during the process.
The Key Is Not Technology, but Data and PromptsAs Koloini points out, the main challenge is no longer the technology itself, as many so-called ‘plug-and-play’ AI systems are now available to the general public. The essential difference between an average and an advanced assistant lies elsewhere:
‘There’s a common misconception that developing an AI assistant is primarily a technological challenge. It’s not. Today, nearly anyone can set up a basic chatbot with just a few clicks. The real challenge lies in the data – how to prepare, structure, and connect it to the model. And most importantly: how to write the prompt’.
PlayBuddy uses the ChatGPT API, enhanced by a custom model and prompt engineering developed by Simon Cetin, founder of Retoba, who created his own advanced solution for prompt engineering – the skill of precise communication with large language models (LLMs).
‘Prompts are the intellectual property of the future, and prompt engineering will become a highly sought-after skill. Crafting an effective prompt is difficult, but that’s precisely what sets apart an average AI assistant from an excellent one’, Koloini adds.
A Responsive, Empathetic, and Personalized Assistant
The team’s goal was to create an assistant that is not just an informational source, but behaves like a real ‘buddy’ – responsive, empathetic, and tailored to each user.
‘The biggest challenge? Getting PlayBuddy to behave like a true friend. Sometimes it was too stubborn, other times too relaxed. We were searching for a balance that creates a sense of natural and human-like interaction’, Koloini emphasizes in the interview.
The team automatically updates the model weekly with internal data on new games and user feedback, allowing real-time adaptation.
‘Traditional analytics don’t reveal users’ actual thoughts and preferences. AI interactions do. What content do they miss? Which games frustrate them? AI helps us answer those questions’, he asked.
Success as a Testament to Slovenian Expertise
The publication in AI Gamechangers is not only recognition for Play123 and Retoba, but also proof that Slovenian teams, with a thoughtful approach and top-notch expertise, can compete at the highest global level in AI development.
Full interview in AI Gamechangers:
https://aigamechangers.substack.com/p/the-challenge-is-in-how-you-prepare
