Dr Emily Short has taken a seat on Spirit AI’s board of directors.

Short is an interactive fiction expert and writer - most notable for her own work on games like Galatea and her writing work on titles such as Sunless Skies and Where The Water Tastes Like Wine.

For the last two years, Short has been heading up Spirit AI’s Character Engine team as product manager. The work involves the use of machine learning to enhance dialogue and NPC interactions in video games.

She now takes on the position of executive director, helping set the goals and direction of Spirit AI and its products.

Building character

“Emily has shown great leadership in her work with the Character Engine team, and in articulating our goals and vision to the industry,” said CEO Steve Andre

“She will be a strong addition to our leadership team as we continue to define and build new AI natural language solutions that breathe life into digital characters.”

Spirit AI’s work isn’t solely focussed on creating believable in-game characters. The company is looking to create a safer environment for online communication through its social intelligence tool, Ally.