Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 |
AI Wins At Civilization II By Reading Manual
An MIT supercomputer-based artificial intelligence has learned to play the computer game Civilization II the old-fashioned way - by reading the manual.
(Civilization II is just a game, for now)
The research began with the computer game Civilization II. In the Civilization series, players must use advanced strategies and tactics in order to further their virtual reign. It's a complicated formula that can stump and frustrate even the most skilled human players, and that's precisely why it was chosen for the ambitious experiment.The scientists aimed to see just how close an artificial player would mimic a living, breathing human, and they were surprised by what they found. The computer was equipped with the game instructions and allowed to use them to compare what was happening in the game. After a bit of trial and error, the computer began to perfect its play style.
The supercomputer has posted a 79% win rate on Civilization II, a game that models a planetary culture and encourages world domination. So much for a nice game of chess.
Science fiction readers are not surprised that machines are able to play strategy games and win. In his 2008 novel Player of Games, Iain Banks creates the character of Mawhrin-Skel, an intelligent machine that can play games well enough to help humans cheat.
"...I wanted to know, too. I came back long ago; I've been watching for the past five hours, quite fascinated. I couldn't resist finding out if it was possible... To be honest, I still don't know; the game is beyond me, just over-complicated for the way my poor target-tracking mind is configured... but I had to try and find out. I had to. So, you see; the risk is run, Gurgeh; the deed is done. I can tell you what you need to know..."Gurgeh looked at the drone. His mouth was dry...
Mawhrin-Skel floated closer. "As I said, Jernau Gurgeh; I can fool these adding machines, no problem at all. Quickly now. Do you want to know or not?"
Via Yahoo News; thanks to Blue Monkey for the tip and the reference.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 7/13/2011)
Follow this kind of news @Technovelgy.| Email | RSS | Blog It | Stumble | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit |
Would
you like to contribute a story tip?
It's easy:
Get the URL of the story, and the related sf author, and add
it here.
Comment/Join discussion ( 1 )
Related News Stories - (" Artificial Intelligence ")
AI Welfare Position At Anthropic Filled By Human
'You’re the robopsychologist of the plant, so you’re to study the robot itself...' - Isaac Asimov, 1941.
Are The Thought Police Listening To Everyone All The Time?
'... they could plug in your wire whenever they wanted to.' - George Orwell, 1948.
Nevada Will Use AI To Decide Worker Benefits
'They had screwed up and been blacklisted by Manna.' - Marshall Brain, 2002.
AI Note-Taking From Google Meet
'... the new typewriter that could be talked to, and which transposed the spoken sound into typed words.' - Dr. David H. Keller, 1934.
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
Current News
Miss Alabama Beauty Contest Offers Different Standards
'...they moved with the ease of dandelion puffs.'
Has Musk Given Up On Full Self Driving (FSD)?
'...some bored drone pusher in a remote driving centre...'
Prufrock-3 'The Monster' Ready To Launch
Just go for it.
Drones In Vast Airborne Grids
'These pods were programmed to hang in space in a hexagonal grid pattern...'
Starship Special Edition For Lunar Shuttle
Love those special edition spaceships.
Capturing Asteroids With Nets
'...the meteor caught and halted just as a small boy catches a swift ball in his cap.'
Project Hyperion - Generation Ship Designers Needed!
'We have decided that it shall be but one ship... it must contain everything needed to take us through the generations.'
AI Welfare Position At Anthropic Filled By Human
'You’re the robopsychologist of the plant, so you’re to study the robot itself...'
Marslink Proposed By SpaceX
'It was the heart of the Solar System's communication line...'
Simple Way To Defeat AI Face Recognition
'... designed to foil facial recognition systems.'
Wood-Panelled LignoSat Launched
'The Consul remembered his first glimpse of the kilometer-long treeship...'
Laser-Beam Welding In Orbital Factories
'His contract with Space Industries required him to work summers in their orbital factory.'
'Iceberg House' Of Travis Kelce Reflects Science Fiction Of Past Century
'The basement was huge... carved deep into the rock that folded up to underlie the ridge...'
Mechazilla Arms Catch A Falling Starship, But Check Out SF Landing-ARMS
'...the rocket’s landing-arms automatically unfolded.'
A System To Defeat AI Face Recognition
'...points and patches of light... sliding all over their faces in a programmed manner that had been designed to foil facial recognition systems.'
Robot Hand Separate From Robot
'The crawling, exploring object was V-Stephen's surgeon-hand...'
