From Drawings to Digital Malls: How Google’s New AI Creates New Retail Spaces

Google’s new Genie 2 AI system converts simple drawings and text descriptions into playable 3D game environments, potentially streamlining the construction of digital worlds.

The technology could significantly impact game development by making 3D environment creation more accessible to creators without extensive technical expertise while offering established studios a new rapid prototyping tool. For businesses exploring virtual commerce, it may also provide a more efficient path to building digital retail spaces and interactive customer experiences.

“Google’s Genie 2 is a foundation world model capable of generating an endless variety of action-controllable, playable 3D environments from a single image,” Michael Jung, CFO of DeepBrainAI, told PYMNTS. “It can also generate different perspectives, such as first-person view, isometric views, or third-person driving videos, creating a dynamic environment for gamers and consumers alike.

“Imagine being able to generate an entire shopping mall or video game level from a single image,” Jung added. “Genie 2’s out-of-distribution generalization capabilities turn concept art and drawings into fully interactive environments. Interactive shopping experiences can be easily created through object affordances and interactions.”

Game studios are increasingly integrating AI tools into development processes. The technology automates environment generation, rapidly creating textures, landscapes and assets. AI-powered testing systems run thousands of gameplay scenarios to identify bugs and balance issues. Natural language processing enhances non-playable character interactions, while procedural generation creates diverse levels and quests. Machine learning optimizes game performance and helps predict player behavior.

Asset creation tools particularly benefit indie developers by reducing production costs. These AI implementations focus on accelerating technical tasks while maintaining creative quality.

As gamers’ financial habits evolve with technology, a notable trend has emerged in their payment preferences. PYMNTS Intelligence has found that digital instant payment options are gaining popularity among gamers as alternatives to traditional cash payments.

New Worlds with a Click

Genie 2 creates interactive 3D worlds from single images. Users input commands, and the system generates responsive environments with physics, character movement and consistent graphics for up to a minute. Most demos run 10-20 seconds.

The system uses video-trained AI to address a significant challenge in AI research: more diverse training environments. While early tests with DeepMind’s SIMA agent show promise — like following verbal commands to explore generated buildings — researchers acknowledge that both the AI agent and world generation still need significant work.

AI and gaming expert Kelsey Falter, co-founder and CEO of Mother Games, told PYMNTS that AI-generated worlds can fundamentally change how we interact with gaming and retail.

“Imagine an entire shop personalized with all of your favorite items in life — from the aspirational to the obtainable — a shop shaped by you,” Falter said. “Within these AI retail environments, AI agents who offer personal shopping consultation will co-create an experience with the player, offering valuable perspective and a sense of connection during an otherwise transactional process. With these new capabilities, it’s possible to see a product or apparel item in a variety of different settings, allowing for a level of intimacy that makes a digital good come to life.”

The Future of Shopping?

Falter said shopping taps into our instinct to search for hidden gems and good deals. Genie 2’s rich 3D environments could help games capture that feeling of spontaneous discovery.

“Rather than navigating a static catalog, players could explore an AI-generated market, exploring an immersive landscape of items as part of the game lore,” she said. “This blurring of boundaries between play and shopping makes the discovery process immersive in a way that traditional eCommerce simply cannot replicate. Additionally, with the Genie 2 camera capabilities — there is an opportunity to shift from first-person browsing to viewing one’s avatar in third-person, seeing a 360-degree perspective come to life with environmental lighting and shadows.”