In Web3 games, even an NPC’s joke can live forever. That’s the kind of persistence AI needs to evolve — and that is why William Croisettier, Chief Growth Officer at ZKcandy, believes the future of AI-powered entertainment starts with blockchain gaming. In this interview, he explains how AI, ownership, and memory come together to create worlds that remember, adapt, and reward players like never before.
Why do you believe AI-driven entertainment begins with Web3 gaming, and not elsewhere in tech or media?
Every new medium needs the right “soil” to grow in. Games running on blockchains give AI three things it can’t get elsewhere: a public memory that never wipes, assets players truly own, and built-in ways to reward effort.
A video-streaming site can add complex recommendation algorithms, but the moment you close the tab, the experience is over. In a Web3 game, yesterday’s quest, the sword you forged, even the joke an NPC told you, stay on-chain and can matter tomorrow. That persistence lets AI build a story layer by layer instead of starting from scratch every play session.
How would you explain to a non-technical audience why games are the first “agentic environments” for AI?
Movies and books don’t budge when you shout at them. Games do. In video games, players’ choices bend the world, so an AI has room to notice, learn, and push back.
An AI director inside a game can say, “Oh, you like stealth? I’ll dim the lights and add hidden passages.” That constant back-and-forth makes games the easiest place to teach AI how to act like a co-author rather than a canned animation.
In your view, what role does Web3 infrastructure play that traditional gaming platforms can’t?
Traditional games “rent” you an illusion of ownership. You may grind a thousand hours for a legendary skin, but if the publisher flips a switch, it’s gone.
A blockchain-powered game shifts that power balance: the item lives in your wallet, not the studio’s database. That single tweak unlocks a chain reaction: players can swap gear without grey-market headaches, studios can safely let user-generated items circulate, and AI can treat each asset as something permanent. This enables a true asset economy rather than the patchwork environment that exists today.
What does a “persistent, interoperable entertainment ecosystem” look like in practice — and why is that so game-changing?
It means your creations — characters, storylines, and items — persist and evolve across multiple games and platforms. If studios agree on a format, my level-80 ranger (or the AI companion that travels with them) can hop between worlds without losing identity. They can even drive a car in my favorite racing game. This would allow players to compare what they’ve built, show off their achievements with AI, and appreciate others’ journeys.
Breaking traditional gaming’s isolated experience, it can transform video games into social universes where creativity and achievements are shared, compared, and continuously valued, revolutionizing how players connect and interact.
What is ZKcandy’s mission in the context of this AI-Web3 gaming revolution?
Our north-star rule is “fun first, tech second.” We’re big believers in ownership, but we hide the wallet pop-ups and gas fees behind the curtain. If we nail it, players will simply notice that the world remembers them, the trade window is fair, and their sidekick never forgets an inside joke.
We lean on iCandy’s decade of mainstream experience to keep us honest: if a feature doesn’t make the game more entertaining for a commuter on the train, it goes back to the workshop.
Can you give us a sneak peek at a real-world use case or game that showcases this AI-Web3 fusion in action?
Imagine an expansive RPG where AI continuously creates unique storylines and characters that directly reflect your previous gameplay decisions. Your AI-driven companion remembers past adventures, evolves with distinct personality traits, and interacts with you dynamically based on historical interactions. All of these will create completely different and unique experiences for players of the same game.
Crucially, this AI-generated companion can be minted as an NFT, permanently preserving your character’s unique traits and experiences. You can then trade, display, or integrate this companion into other compatible games or social platforms. This is how we envision the way AI and Web3 together can deliver deeply personalized and lasting gameplay value.
What are some exciting ways AI will change how players interact with virtual worlds — socially, economically, or creatively?
Socially, you’ll see AI “remember” your reputation. For example, steal from a town once, and merchants might mark up their prices the next time you visit. Economically, AI vendors can adjust supply and demand so a “dragon bone” actually feels rare instead of flooding the auction house in week two.
Creatively, modders will get a new paintbrush: prompt an AI to sketch a dungeon theme, then tweak it by hand. The best part is that the ledger keeps track of who contributed what, so credit (and royalties, if you want them) flows back to the right people.
Do you see a future where AI agents play alongside or against humans with distinct personalities and evolving skills?
Absolutely. Future AI agents will go beyond simulating basic interactions; they’ll develop distinct personalities and evolving skill sets shaped by ongoing interactions with players. These AI-powered characters will remember previous encounters, learn from experiences, and adjust their behavior accordingly, becoming genuinely dynamic companions or formidable opponents.
A fantastic early example of this concept is the AI of the Xenomorph from the “Alien: Isolation” video game. Rather than following a fixed pattern, the Xenomorph actively learns from the player’s strategies. As a result, each encounter is increasingly tense and unpredictable, and you have to find new solutions and use different strategies.
A broader implementation would lead to a more personalized gameplay, elevating gaming into a truly dynamic entertainment experience that constantly evolves with the player’s actions.
How do you address concerns that AI might overpower human creativity or fairness in gameplay?
Tools don’t replace artists; they widen the canvas. The role of AI in gaming should be designed to amplify human creativity using tools and environments that expand rather than replace player ingenuity.
Our vision is to give players the ability to craft personalized and meaningful experiences without technical barriers. Blockchain infrastructure’s transparency promotes fairness, clearly recording and validating player contributions, assets, and achievements. Ultimately, AI builds a new layer for gameplay as it cultivates a balanced environment that rewards creativity and facilitates enjoyable interactions for every participant.
Which recent developments — at ZKcandy, iCandy, or in the broader space — are you most excited about?
I’m excited about the emergence of Play-to-Own models and advancements in zero-knowledge rollups. These innovations simplify blockchain interactions significantly, making asset ownership straightforward, intuitive, and accessible for mainstream gamers.
Additionally, zero-knowledge rollups unlock scalable, cost-effective infrastructure necessary to realize AI’s full potential in gaming, supporting massive data handling and complex interactions seamlessly. These developments collectively promise to dramatically reshape the gaming landscape, making truly personalized, interconnected, and economically vibrant gaming experiences broadly attainable.
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