Who likes role-playing? OK, OpenAI puts on its robe and wizard hat... Game bot code released, plus Apple robo-car project blow, and more

Here's your rapid-fire guide to what's been happening lately in the world of machine learning. Multiagent madness: OpenAI has released materials to train a large number of neural-network-based software agents using reinforcement learning in multiplayer game environments. The tech platform, dubbed Neural MMO, creates tile- …

[Shadow Systems]

I'll believe it when I see it.

Unless they've changed since I could still see to play them, the typical MMORPG was nothing more than a "kill it, loot it, go buy better stuff, lather-rinse-repeat" style grind. Sure there were NPC's you could interact with to try & make it NOT so bloody & bloody minded, but the bulk of it was of the kill-it-and-sell-it variety. Of course an AI would excell at that, there's not much for it to do.

My typical D&D session was full of complex problem solving, diplomatic conflict avoidance/resolution, a giant treasure hunt, puzzle solving, poetry deciphering, "how can I steal the dragon's hoarde without getting myself eaten?" style of adventure. There was so many different probability tree branches, things going wrong that you had to crisis resolve on the fly, try to outsmart the DM so you could live to enjoy your winnings, madcap of action that I doubt any AI could ever make a decent show of itself.

I'll believe an AI can play D&D (versus a mere MMORPG) when I can watch it tackle a random module & survive the first time through. Our characters often didn't get ressurrected so why should the AI enjoy it either? "Bob the Barbarian" only got one try, after he died we had to Roll A New Character ("HA! You died! RANC! Muh Hahahahaha!") & come back as Jill the Ranger or Vicki the Viking or Sammy the Psycho Sorcerer.

Your typical MMORPG is a simple thing the AI can thrive in by simply killing everything not itself. Your typical D&D adventure would end very shortly if the AI killed off that first NPC whose job it was to tell them what their quest was in the first place. If I or my DM's were any indication then such a "kill 'em all" player tended to die thirty seconds after slaughtering the kindly old man whom wanted to hire the party to find his kidnapped daughter. See how the AI's job isn't an easy one? And *that* is why I don't believe AI's can play D&D.

[amanfromMars 1]

Hmmm?

to train a large number of neural-network-based software agents using reinforcement learning

That would be hackers, yes? What could possibly not go wrong?

Nice one, OpenAI.

[Anonymous Coward]

Aaaaaaaaargh! No, no, no!

Microsoft wants to build a medical chatbot for clinical trials: Microsoft is hoping to partner with pharmaceutical giants to find patients looking for clinical trials to help flesh out its medical chatbot.

I think it ought to be legally mandated that it must be visible who supplies the AI you're talking to, and which one the hospital you're visiting is using. There is no way I'd trust my health to a Microsoft AI.

That said, it may be easy to detect - either you see Clippy "I see you're trying to practise medicine" pop up, or the morgue is unusually full..

[RM Myers]

Re: Aaaaaaaaargh! No, no, no!

I believe this is just an attempt to make finding clinical trials for patients easier, not actually provide medical treatment. You can find trials now by going to https://clinicaltrials.gov/ and entering search terms and answering questions.