Unity game development with AI(Unity VS Code copilot)

[skgameapps]

Hi, I am looking for a course where can learn using VS code copilot with agent AI to develop game in unity? Is there any plan to create or publish such course on Udemy?

[Brian_Trotter]

As far as I know, there aren’t plans for a Generative AI course. I can’t say this won’t change in the future, and it’s actually a good idea for a course.

A few things to consider when using the AI in VS Code (or in JetBrains Rider, for those reading this who might be doing so):

• The AI can sometimes hallucinate – come up with solutions and reference classes that don’t actually exist in your project. Be mindful and check code carefully before inserting it into your project
• The AI is generally very good at answering straightforward questions like “How does [insert function] work?” This is especially true with built in Unity features, classes, and methods. This is not always quite as true with your own code.
• The more information you can pass to the AI the better. If you include your existing script you’re trying to improve, then the AI has context that it may not have without it.
• The big takeaway is to always check the results of any AI query, either code generation or inquiry carefully.

[pagech]

At present, there does not appear to be a dedicated course that specifically addresses the integration of Unity development with VS Code Copilot or agent-based AI tools. Most available Unity training resources remain focused on C# scripting, engine workflows, and core game design principles, while Copilot functions primarily as an AI-assisted coding tool rather than a Unity-specific solution. Although Copilot can be used within VS Code to streamline scripting tasks, it typically needs to be complemented by existing Unity tutorials and documentation. Should such a course be developed, it would likely combine foundational Unity training with structured methodologies for effectively leveraging AI-assisted development. For those seeking to explore the broader role of AI in software and game development, professional resources such as AI development services may also provide valuable context and guidance.

[Brian_Trotter]

This specific reply is 100% my opinion and does not bear on any official position taken by Gamedev.tv

I’ve been coding since… the Reagan Administration… a bit over 40 years now. Back then, there simply weren’t AI tools or anything that was all that helpful in programming. We identified tasks, broke them down into smaller tasks and wrote code to cover them. I used to have a stack of books that contained nothing but API definitions. Documentation for everything on the Interwebs wasn’t really a thing yet in 1983, and if it were, my teacher would have likely hit me with a ruler had I tried.

Of course, the tools have gotten better. Integrated Development Environments spot code errors and make suggestions, and that’s a good thing. The fundamentals, however, still require a deep knowledge of how coding works, and how to break down big problems into little problems until you arrive at code that does what you want it to do.

Then came Generative AI… something that lets somebody completely new to music publish a hit record so you don’t really have to know how to play. You can write entire novels with AI now, so you don’t have to learn how to really write. You can make pictures from a prompt, so you don’t really have to know how to do art. You can write code with a prompt, so you don’t really have to know how to code…

Personally (again, this is NOT a company position, we don’t have an official position here on Generative AI), I believe that AI has become an obstacle to learning. Can’t figure out how to do this thing? Just ask AI. I answer questions all the time from students who went to ChatGPT first before coming to me, and they can’t explain why they did what they did to the code, only that ChatGPT or CoPilot told them to.

Generative AI does not replace learning. Give me 5 guys who know how to use ChatGPT and one guy who knows how to code and understands the language forwards and backwards, and I’m going to hire the guy who knows how to code every single time.

Am I saying don’t use it? No, I use it. Guilty little secret: I write my own code, but I often let AI write the XML comments. Of course, I usually have to go through them and correct an error or two in the logic, but because I know my code**,** I’m able to do it. You have to be very careful what you’re using it for, and it’s vitally important that you understand your codebase, C# itself, and how Unity works or you’re as likely to break your project as you are to enhance it.

My day job is building electronics. As it happens, in this job, I’m not on the coding team, but they’re a stand up group of coders, and we talk shop all the time. Our company policy actually forbids using Generative AI. It means sometimes problems take a bit longer to solve… more meetings around the water cooler. Suggestions and input from us in Production who understand the electrical side of our equipment. The reasons?

• Security – To get a good answer from ChatGPT, you have to send them your code or you’re going to get garbage.
• Ownership – It’s our code, not ChatGPT’s.
• Hallucinations – Generative AI frequently hallucinates, answering questions by guessing, writing code that doesn’t correspond to your codebase or may actually do the opposite of what you’re looking for. I’ve seen it happen in my personal projects, which is why the GenAI that comes with my JetBrains Rider gets relegated to documenting XML comments and not writing code.

Stepping down off the soap box

[Nina]

I’ve just moved this thread to the “Talk” subforum because other students might want to share their opinion and experience, too, and discuss “Unity game development with AI” in general.