Epic acquires AI-powered 3D asset tagging technology Loci

The creator of Unreal Engine, Epic Games, has acquired the AI-driven asset tagging company Loci for an undisclosed amount.

Loci has pioneered technology that employs AI-powered APIs to tag, classify, suggest, and enhance 3D assets on a large scale. The company stated that its endpoints “simplify searching, managing, and comprehending intricate 3D assets and environments.”

Loci’s algorithms have been trained on more than 1 million 3D assets, which they claim enables them to “grasp nearly any artistic style.”

Epic will assimilate Loci’s technology throughout its system to improve sharing and discoverability in Fab and to automatically catalogue custom assets in Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN).

The company mentioned that Loci’s 3D similarity detection tool for IP protection can also help identify potential IP infringements and enhance moderation capabilities across its platforms.

“Epic generates and hosts a vast amount of 3D content within our ecosystem, and we are always looking for ways to automate artist workflows and improve content discoverability,” stated Lucia Specia, director of Epic’s Machine Learning Solutions team, in a blog post.

“We look forward to collaborating with the Loci team to design new AI tools that will enhance how our community creates and modifies 3D content across Fab, Unreal Engine, and our entire ecosystem.”

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Loci’s CEO, Eugene Yi, stated that the acquisition will reinforce its mission to ensure that 3D assets are “accessible, discoverable, and secure.”

“Joining Epic Games allows us to integrate Loci’s 3D understanding technology where it is most impactful—supporting creators directly in the largest 3D asset ecosystem in the world,” he added.

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