Popular gaming communication platform Discord recently announced in a forum post on Thursday night that its AI bot named Clyde will be retired within the next two weeks. This decision comes as Clyde, which was initially in beta testing for a limited number of devices, is set to be phased out without a specific explanation provided by Discord.
By the end of the current month, users can expect Clyde to be deactivated, limiting its availability for direct messages (DMs), group chats, and server interactions by December 1, 2023, as stated by Discord. Despite Decrypt’s request for comment, Discord has not yet responded to the inquiry.
Introduced by Discord in May 2021, Clyde served as an AI-powered solution for users seeking automated responses to queries without human intervention. Operating as a linguistic AI program, Clyde facilitated user interactions on enabled sites through OpenAI’s suite of AI tools.
Discord has historically been a hub for bots and other semi-autonomous services even prior to the advent of AI technology. Since December 2015, when Discord’s API was reverse-engineered by a group of developers, bots have played an integral role in the platform’s ecosystem, with Clyde being just one of the many active bots. Popular bots like IdleRPG for gaming, MEE6 for social media notifications, and Chipbot for music streaming have become staples of the Discord experience. Moreover, specialized bots have aided individuals seeking opportunities in the cryptocurrency industry.
Beyond gaming, Discord has evolved into a preferred platform for decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) and blockchain communities. Bots such as Collab Land assist Discord moderators in verifying participants’ ownership of required keys or NFTs for community membership maintenance.
Various AI art-generation communities and businesses have found a home on Discord, including the Midjourney AI platform, which now requires membership and a Discord account following the discontinuation of its free version due to misuse.
Noteworthy AI image generators on Discord include Dall-E by OpenAI, BlueWillow by Pika Labs, and LimeWire.
In the realm of Web3 gaming, titles like Alchemy: Battle for Ankhos, a text- and turn-based game utilizing Solana cryptocurrency, leverage AI on Discord. Alchemy employs conceptual AI to power Midjourney for on-demand crafting within the game.
Creative Director Alex Finden of Alchemy: Battle for Ankhos highlighted Discord’s advantages for building interactive games during SolanaPlayGG, emphasizing the platform’s familiarity and engaging environment for players.
