Libraries are having to reinvent themselves for the digital age. Across Europe, many are becoming connected community hubs, while in Singapore they are going fully interactive with books as “text-adventure games”, thanks to AI.
Any book in the public domain can be turned into a game thanks to “Playbrary”, a project from the National Library Board of Singapore and Le Pub APAC. It uses advanced AI to let players influence the original story, all while generating images that bring the book to life. Once you’ve “played” a story, you’re encouraged to take the original out on loan and see what the author intended.
Cyril Louis, ECD at Le Pub APAC, said: “As Playbrary begins its journey, it stands as a testament to Singapore’s innovative spirit and a potential beacon for the future of libraries in the digital age. Playbrary celebrates books through the lens of technology, inviting a new generation to rediscover the magic of stories in a format that resonates with their digital-first lifestyle. Once they’ve ‘played’ a story on Playbrary, many kids will be curious to read the original.”
This is a great example of where AI can take you, even if it feels all kinds of wrong to the traditionalist. A fusion of reading and gaming no doubt makes sense to younger audiences, but will they really bother to read the book after “playing” it?
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