AI hallucinations are a frequent topic of discussion, often with good reason. In the context of artificial intelligence, “hallucinations” refer to instances where AI generates incorrect or fabricated information. For applications like web search, which depend on delivering factual and useful data, this is a significant issue. Few would argue that AI recommending nonsensical actions, like adding glue to pizza, is desirable, even if users possess the common sense to disregard such advice.
However, AI-driven “hallucinations” aren’t inherently negative. Occasionally, they can be remarkably enjoyable. Odyssey, an innovative company venturing into interactive AI video, compellingly demonstrates this fun aspect. As announced by the company on May 28, 2025, they are introducing real-time, interactive AI video powered by a novel world model that imagines and streams video frames every 40ms, all without a traditional game engine.
What is Odyssey? The Dawn of Interactive AI Video
Odyssey functions as a web-based platform where users can stream and interact with AI-generated video content. This sets it apart from other AI video generators, such as Google’s Veo, which typically involve using text prompts to create static videos for passive viewing. Odyssey, in contrast, generates entire worlds that users can actively explore using keyboard controls. While this might evoke comparisons to world-generating games like Minecraft, Odyssey states a key difference: there is no underlying game engine. Instead, the environments are generated dynamically in real time as the user navigates them, with the system streaming video frames every 40 milliseconds to create a continuously evolving experience. This concept of “interactive video” is offered for free, contingent on GPU availability.
A First-Hand Look: The Dreamlike, Glitchy Charm of Odyssey
Upon exploring Odyssey, the experience, if one can term it a “game,” is uniquely strange in a captivating way. Currently, Odyssey’s visuals are distinctly lo-fi. While this might be a drawback for many interactive applications, it surprisingly complements Odyssey’s nature. The technology embraces the constraints of a low frame rate, resulting in hazy, almost dreamlike environments. The sensation is akin to viewing 3D Google Maps imagery processed through an old VCR, then replayed after exposure to an experimental substance—an analogy, not a recommendation. As one might expect, the platform is also quite buggy; environments can render and then vanish, further amplifying the already hallucinatory quality of the experience.
Screenshot of Odyssey's lo-fi, dreamlike interactive AI video interface displaying a hazy, explorable digital world.
Navigating these worlds using WASD keyboard controls is a deliberately slow and measured process. However, this pacing doesn’t detract significantly from the overall experience. Everything about Odyssey feels experimental, and the fuzzy, tuner-like method of scanning through worlds seems more like a deliberate aesthetic choice than a mere technical limitation.
The Tech Behind the Dream and Future Horizons
The creators of Odyssey, who, as noted by The Verge, are backed by Pixar co-founder Edwin Catmull, are not planning to remain at this visual fidelity. A next-generation version of Odyssey is reportedly in development, although the timeline for its release and the extent of its visual enhancements remain uncertain. The current experimental feel, with its almost radio-like tuning into different worlds, contributes to its unique charm rather than being a simple technical constraint.
For the present, Odyssey delivers precisely what it should: an intriguing and endearingly glitchy experience. While the platform will undoubtedly evolve, potentially becoming more complex, these initial stages offer a unique opportunity for appreciation without over-analysis. The field of AI-generated video is currently in a dynamic and somewhat uncertain phase. If you have the opportunity, taking a peculiar, disjointed journey through Odyssey is recommended. It may well be one of the few AI video experiences available today that evokes curiosity rather than apprehension.
