Gossip: miHoYo Rumored to Invest in AI Startup MiniMax, Could 'Glow' Influence Future NPCs?

Big news in the gaming scene! According to multiple reports, miHoYo is rumored to be planning a new round of investment in the domestic AI startup MiniMax, alongside Sequoia Capital. miHoYo has already participated in two previous rounds; if this goes through, MiniMax's valuation could hit $1 billion.

MiniMax's most famous product is 'Glow,' an AI social app that lets users create personalized intelligent agents with custom backgrounds, personalities, voices, and catchphrases. Many players use it to recreate their favorite game characters for deep, interactive chats.

Glow integrates text, image generation, and AI voice technology. Users can define visual looks and voice timbres, making AI responses feel much more emotionally resonant than simple text bots.

Despite the capital interest, user experience is mixed. Many comments suggest the app is a shell of its former self due to aggressive censorship and constant model instability, leading to repetitive or nonsensical dialogue. Some users even compared it to the old accounting app 'Dadao' (叨叨记账).

Speculation is rampant that miHoYo is eyeing MiniMax's tech to power their next generation of NPCs. If developers can bridge these AI conversational and voice technologies into their games, it could drastically redefine player immersion.