Meta Horizon Worlds creators can now add scriptable conversational AI NPCs that adult users in the US can naturally talk to.
Meta first teased AI NPCs for Horizon Worlds at Connect 2024, and they became available for select Meta-partnered creators earlier this year.
Now, just one week before Connect 2025, they’re available for all creators to add to their worlds, though only for adult US users to talk to.
Meta’s AI NPC tease at Connect 2024.
Horizon AI NPCs are powered by Meta’s Llama 4 large language model, and Meta says they can be used for storytelling, as context-aware guides, or for social immersion.
To customize the personality of each AI NPC, Meta has added a Character Builder tool with traits like name, backstory, instructions, and guardrails.
Creators can also choose between dozens of synthetic voices for each AI NPC, and adjust the speed and pitch.
What Is Horizon Worlds Desktop Editor?
Horizon Worlds Desktop Editor is a flatscreen Windows PC application Meta released in early access in February, alongside deprecating the in-VR creation tools of Horizon Worlds.
The editor offers the ability to import 3D assets, images, and sound files, place them in a 3D landscape, and implement game logic and other functionality using TypeScript, a popular offshoot of JavaScript. These worlds are then immediately playable and multiplayer-capable in Horizon Worlds.
In the US, UK, Canada, EU, Australia, New Zealand, creators can also AI-generate 3D meshes, textures, skyboxes, sound effects, ambient audio, and TypeScript.
You can download Horizon Worlds Desktop Editor here.
TypeScript can be used to give AI NPCs background context of the world state, as well as dynamic knowledge for events, such as the player picking something up, a door opening, or any other happening in the world.
Scripting can also be used for “elicitations”, prompting the NPC to speak naturally by telling them their motivation. For example the elicitation, “the laser blast pierced your armor, and you’re in terrible pain” might result in the NPC saying out loud “Aghh. I’m hurt badly. I’ll stay here and hold them off!”, depending on the current background context and dynamic knowledge.
For users outside the US, or below the age of 18, a TypeScript API check for AI NPC availability can be used to implement a fallback.
For example, creators can use TypeScript to tell the NPC exactly what to say in response to a gameplay trigger, using direct text-to-speech and bypassing the LLM layer entirely, and this will work for Horizon Worlds users worldwide.
How you add AI NPCs in Horizon Worlds Desktop Editor.
Later this year, Meta says it will add the ability for AI NPCs to “trigger in-world actions”, making them active participants in the virtual world.
The company hasn’t said when the ability to speak with Horizon Worlds NPCs will expand beyond the US.
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