PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Penny Kyburz

Also known as Penny Sweetser, Penny Sweetser Kyburz, Penelope Sweetser

Penny Kyburz is a researcher and game developer who uses video games to study human and machine intelligence, with a focus on human-AI teaming. Writing as Penny Sweetser, she developed the GameFlow model of player enjoyment in 2005 during a University of Queensland PhD on artificial intelligence in games, and published the book Emergence in Games in 2007. After designing games at Creative Assembly and 2K and advising Australian Senators on policy, she joined the ANU School of Computing in 2018. In 2020 she led a project on hybrid human-AI collaboration in video games, and in 2025 she chaired the steering committee of IDEATE, a collaboration of Australian universities and industry for a diverse technology workforce. She is a professor and Associate Dean (Education) at the ANU School of Computing, where she leads the ANU Games Research Group.

Timeline

  1. 2005

    The GameFlow model

    Writing as Penny Sweetser, she works on complex systems and artificial intelligence in games for a PhD at the University of Queensland. To evaluate how those systems affect player experience, she develops the GameFlow model of enjoyment in games, which appears in 2005.

  2. 2007

    The book Emergence in Games

    In 2007, she publishes Emergence in Games, a book that gives a detailed foundation for applying the theory and practice of emergence in games to game design.

  3. By 2008

    Game designer at Creative Assembly

    She designs on Medieval II: Total War and its Kingdoms expansion at Creative Assembly (Sega Brisbane). By 2008, she is at 2K Australia.

  4. 2018

    Joining ANU Computing

    She joins the School of Computing at the Australian National University in 2018, after a career across industry, government, entrepreneurship and academia. Before ANU, her game credits include XCOM and BioShock 2, and she works in the Senate as a policy adviser in digital rights, communications and disability.

  5. 2020–2022

    GameFlow 2020 and human-AI teaming

    In 2020, she publishes "GameFlow 2020: 15 Years of a Model of Player Enjoyment", a survey of over 200 applications of the model, and leads a project on hybrid human-AI collaboration models in video games. In February 2022, she gives a seminar on the psychology of video game play that covers human teaming and human-AI teaming in video games and extended reality.

  6. 2025

    AI-supported teams and IDEATE

    In March 2025, she offers a PhD project on using AI technologies such as large language models to support teams playing video games, as part of the Next Generation AI Graduates Program on Human-AI Interaction in the Metaverse. IDEATE, a new collaboration of Australian universities and industry partners for a diverse technology workforce, is announced in June 2025, and she chairs its Steering Committee.

  7. 2026

    Human-robot teaming in VR

    In April 2026, she co-authors "Identity, Form, and Function: Exploring Re-Embodiment for Human-Robot Teaming in Virtual Reality Environments" in ACM Transactions on Human-Robot Interaction. She leads the ANU Games Research Group, teaches Game Development, and researches AI, player experience, and human-AI interaction in games and mixed reality.

  8. As of October 2026

    Professor and Associate Dean

    She is a Professor and Associate Dean (Education) at the ANU School of Computing.

Career

  1. NowAustralian National UniversityProfessor and Associate Dean (Education)
  2. Creative AssemblyGame Designer
  3. 2K AustraliaGame Designer
  4. Australian SenatePolicy Adviser

Education

  1. University of QueenslandPhD

From the biography.

  1. The United States employs an estimated 48% of people shaping AIIncludes Australian National University. We estimate where the people shaping AI work today, how universities, companies and research institutes split across countries, and how country shares have changed since the 1960s.
  2. The median h-index is 48 at universities and 14 at frontier AI labsIncludes Australian National University. The median h-index is 48 at universities and 14 at frontier AI labs. We compare publishing careers, recent citations, dual appointments and job moves across 2,420 university researchers and 308 frontier-lab researchers.
  3. More people shaping AI studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than at any other institutionIncludes Australian National University. We estimate where the people shaping AI studied and where their careers led. Massachusetts Institute of Technology leads with 467 former students, including 291 recorded doctorates.
  4. The company share of AI researchers’ top papers was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974Includes Australian National University. We estimate where the people shaping AI worked when their most-cited papers appeared: the company share was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974, and Google led all organizations in 2020–2024.

Sources and credits

Photo: We have no published photo of Penny Kyburz yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. Game on - ANU Learning and Teaching learningandteaching.anu.edu.au. Checked 22 October 2026.
  2. Game Player Interaction: Penelope (Penny) Sweetser gameplayerinteraction.blogspot.com. Checked 22 October 2026.
  3. Iron Helmet Games ironhelmet.com. Checked 22 October 2026.
  4. Emergence in Games - The Video Game Library thevideogamelibrary.org. Checked 22 October 2026.
  5. Professor Penny Kyburz | Australian National University anu.edu.au. Checked 22 October 2026.
  6. Penny Kyburz | ANU School of Computing comp.anu.edu.au. Checked 22 October 2026.
  7. GameFlow 2020: 15 Years of a Model of Player Enjoyment openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au. Checked 22 October 2026.
  8. Penny Kyburz - The Australian National University researchportalplus.anu.edu.au. Checked 22 October 2026.
  9. Cecil Gibbs Seminar Series: The Psychology of Video Game Play | ANU School of Medicine and Psychology medicine-psychology.anu.edu.au. Checked 22 October 2026.
  10. [Domestic PhD scholarship] AI-supported team work in video games | ANU School of Computing comp.anu.edu.au. Checked 22 October 2026.
  11. Australian universities and tech industry collaborate to create new career opportunities systems.anu.edu.au. Checked 22 October 2026.
  12. Penny Kyburz - ACSW acsw.core.edu.au. Checked 22 October 2026.