[Edaily Reporter An Yu-ri ] KRAFTON(259960)is partnering with Seoul National University to conduct research on “World Model” artificial intelligence (AI) technology that can be applied to both gaming and robotics. The plan is to expand the simulation capabilities accumulated in virtual worlds to include robotics research.

KRAFTON and the Artificial Intelligence Major of Seoul National University’s Graduate School Joint Program announced on the 8th that they held a launch ceremony for their joint research initiative and revealed the research topics and participating researchers. The two parties will operate a joint research center based on an industry-academia cooperation agreement signed last November.

A world model is a technology that enables AI to understand the state of its surrounding environment and predict in advance how that environment will change based on its actions. KRAFTON plans to collaborate with Seoul National University to develop the decision-making and prediction technologies required for both virtual game environments and real-world robots.

The research will proceed over the next three years through three main projects. Researchers will develop technology to ensure that the appearance of spaces and objects remains stable when generating long videos, as well as technology to naturally connect the movements of people and objects using in-game motion data. They will also verify whether AI in virtual scenes uses spatial information—such as passageway width and distance to objects—as a basis for decision-making.

Benchmarks will also be created to evaluate the performance of each research project. The joint research center will host results-sharing sessions, operate student internship programs, and identify new research topics.

Lee Kang-wook, CAIO at KRAFTON, stated, “The simulation and virtual world-building capabilities that KRAFTON has accumulated through gaming serve as a crucial foundation for world model research,” adding, “We will utilize the results of our joint research with Seoul National University to create more immersive gaming experiences and, furthermore, expand into areas such as robotics.”

Professor Kang Yu, who specializes in artificial intelligence in the Collaborative Graduate Program at Seoul National University, remarked, “It is meaningful to be advancing world model research that spans both the gaming and robotics fields together with KRAFTON,” adding, “We will achieve meaningful results through this joint research and expand opportunities for students to participate in research.”

Meanwhile, KRAFTON is continuing its mid- to long-term technology research—including physical AI—based on the AI research capabilities it has accumulated through its games. Following the establishment of “Ludo Robotics,” a robotics research subsidiary in the U.S. last year, the company also established a Korean subsidiary in February of this year.