Lauren Gallagher

What if the non-player characters (NPCs) in video games could come to life with artificial intelligence? When Lauren Gallagher ’26, MFA ’27, asked herself that question, she designed a project that earned her one of the University’s inaugural AI Innovation Grants. The Becker School of Design & Technology major is trying to see what boundaries she can push in this new territory of technology. Gallagher created a persona for her NPC — Jenny Applebaum, a local apple seller — and connected the character to a local language model to create a playable demo. The goal was for the player to convince the NPC to sell them an apple. 

Gallagher is enrolled in the BSDT’s MFA program and will continue to work on this project as a graduate student. She will also be leading a Game Studio project next academic year.