Vienna-based Atlas recently revealed its 3D generative AI platform and has secured an impressive $6 million in funding. The platform, which emerged from stealth mode last month, aims to redefine the gaming industry by developing advanced AI models, significantly reducing development cycles to a few prompts and hours of AI generation. 

CEO Ben James disclosed that an alpha version of the platform is set to launch later this year. The focus is on empowering smaller game developers, allowing them to create intricate virtual worlds and unlock new gaming experiences seamlessly.

The $6 million funding comprises a $4.5 million round led by 6th Man Ventures and a $1.5 million round led by Collab+Currency. Notable investors include Square Enix, a16z Scouting Fund, Contango, and Gaingels, among others. 

Hideaki Uehara, Square Enix's General Manager of Investment & Business Development, commented that he sees Atlas as a "key to streamlining the increasingly costly game development process. This strategic alliance highlights the potential of Atlas’ unique technology to revolutionize the industry and drive efficiency."

Established in 2020, Atlas offers a 3D AI platform designed to expedite virtual world creation for game developers and brands exploring video games and extended reality (XR) environments. Recent advancements in AI, such as Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, and Runway, are influencing game development.

Developers are turning to AI for swift character and landscape design, providing indie studios with a competitive edge in the ever-evolving industry. Nvidia's Avatar Cloud Engine (ACE) and Sweden-based Hiber's Hiber3D are significant players in this space. James acknowledges the dual nature of generative AI, stating that their tech aims to supplement a designer's creative intuition.

Emphasizing ethics, James highlighted the importance of ethically sourced training data, privacy, and safeguarding intellectual property (IP). Atlas trained its AI on proprietary data, ensuring unique AI models through sparse representation. Atlas adhered to the EU’s Ethical Guidelines for Trustworthy AI, focusing on transparency, privacy, human agency, oversight, and inclusion. Looking ahead, James expressed optimism about Atlas evolving to include AI-powered tools simplifying tasks like 3D modeling and coding.

The platform is actively working with partners and exploring opportunities for expansion. Current partners include some of the biggest names in AAA studios, next-gen gaming, and immersive design, including Consortium9 as well as partners-turned-investors Shrapnel and Square Enix.

Using custom-built 3D generative AI engines, partners can generate entire virtual worlds, creative assets and designs that are consistent with existing IP and ready to be deployed anywhere. In an industry prioritizing innovation and ethics, Atlas emerges as a transformative force, poised to help reshape the gaming landscape with its 3D generative AI platform.