• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

AI Magazine Volume 22 Number 2 (2001) (© AAAI) Articles Human-Level AI’s Killer Application Interactive Computer Games John E. Laird and Michael van Lent I Although one of the fundamental goals of AI is to communication with natural language, com- understand and develop intelligent systems that monsense reasoning, creativity, and learning. have all the capabilities of humans, there is little If this is our dream, why isn’t any progress active research directly pursuing this goal. We pro- being made? Ironically, one of the major rea- pose that AI for interactive computer games is an sons that almost nobody (see Brooks et al. emerging application area in which this goal of [2000] for one high-profile exception) is work- human-level AI can successfully be pursued. Inter- active computer games have increasingly complex ing on this grand goal of AI is that current and realistic worlds and increasingly complex and applications of AI do not need full-blown intelligent computer-controlled characters. In this human-level AI. For almost all applications, article, we further motivate our proposal of using the generality and adaptability of human interactive computer games for AI research, review thought is not needed—specialized, although previous research on AI and games, and present more rigid and fragile, solutions are cheaper the different game genres and the roles that and easier to develop. Unfortunately, it is human-level AI could play within these genres. We unclear whether the approaches that have then describe the research issues and AI techniques been developed to solve specific problems are that are relevant to each of these roles. Our conclu- sion is that interactive computer games provide a the right building blocks for creating human- rich environment for incremental research on level intelligence. The thesis of this article is human-level AI. that interactive computer games are the killer application for human-level AI. They are the ver the last 30 years, research in AI has application that will need human-level AI. fragmented into more and more spe- Moreover, they can provide the environments Ocialized fields, working on more and for research on the right kinds of problem that more specialized problems, using more and lead to the type of incremental and integrative more specialized algorithms. This approach research needed to achieve human-level AI. has led to a long string of successes with impor- tant theoretical and practical advancements. Computer-Generated Forces However, these successes have made it easy for us to ignore our failure to make significant Given that our personal goal is to build human- progress in building human-level AI systems. level AI systems, we have struggled to find the Human-level AI systems are the ones that you right application for our research that requires dreamed about when you first heard of AI: HAL the breadth, depth, and flexibility of human- from 2001, A Space Odyssey; DATA from Star Trek; level intelligence. In 1991, we found computer- or CP30 and R2D2 from Star Wars. They are generated forces for large-scale distributed sim- smart enough to be both triumphant heroes ulations as a potential application. Effective and devious villains. They seamlessly integrate military training requires a complete battle all the human-level capabilities: real-time space with tens if not hundreds or thousands of response, robustness, autonomous intelligent participants. The real world is too expensive interaction with their environment, planning, and dangerous to use for continual training, Copyright © 2001, American Association for Artificial Intelligence. All rights reserved. 0738-4602-2001 / $2.00 SUMMER 2001 15 Articles and even simulation is prohibitively expensive port characters that act just like humans. The and cumbersome when fully manned with AI characters can be part of the continual evo- humans. The training of 4 pilots to fly an attack lution in the game industry toward more real- mission can require over 20 planes plus air con- istic gaming environments. Increasing realism trollers. The military does not even have a facil- in the graphic presentation of the virtual ity with 20 manned simulators, and if it did, the worlds has fueled this evolution. Human-level cost in personnel time for the other pilots and AI can expand the types of experiences people support personnel to train these four pilots have playing computer games by introducing would be astronomical. To bypass these costs, synthetic intelligent characters with their own computer-generated forces are being developed goals, knowledge, and capabilities. Human-lev- to populate these simulations. These forces el AI can also recreate the experience of playing must integrate many of the capabilities we asso- with and against humans without a network ciate with human behavior—after all, they are connection. Current players of computer simulating human pilots. For example, they games are driven to networked games because must use realistic models of multiple sensing of the failings of the computer characters. In modalities, encode and use large bodies of massively multiplayer online games, human- knowledge (military doctrine and tactics), per- level AIs can populate the worlds with persis- form their missions autonomously, coordinate tent characters that can play the game along- their behavior, react quickly to changes in the side humans, providing opportunities for Human-level environment, and dynamically replan mis- interesting interactions that guide players in sions. Together with researchers at the Univer- the game and enhance the social dynamics AI systems are sity Southern California Information Sciences between players. Our hypothesis is that popu- the ones that Institute and Carnegie Mellon University, we lating these games with realistic, human-level you dreamed set off to build human-level AIs for military air characters will lead to fun, challenging games missions (Tambe et al. 1995). In 1997, we suc- with great game play. about when cessfully demonstrated fully autonomous simu- From the AI researcher perspective, the you first lated aircraft (Jones et al. 1999), and research increasing realism in computer games makes and development continues on these systems them an attractive alternative to both robotics heard of AI: by Soar Technology, Inc. Although computer- in the real world and homegrown simulations. HAL from generated forces are a good starting application By working in simulation, researchers interest- for developing human-level AI, there are ed in human-level AI can concentrate on cog- 2001, A Space extremely high costs for AI researchers to par- nitive capabilities and finesse many of the Odyssey; ticipate in this work. It requires a substantial pesky issues of using real sensor and real motor DATA from investment in time and money to work with systems; they must still include some sensor the simulation environments and to learn the modeling to get realistic behavior, but they Star Trek; or extensive background knowledge, doctrine, tac- don’t have to have a team of vision researchers CP30 and tics, and missions. Furthermore, much of the on their staff. They can pursue AI research in current funding is for building and fielding sys- worlds that are becoming increasingly realistic R2D2 from tems and not for conducting research. simulations of physical and social interactions, Star Wars. without having to create these worlds them- selves. Computer games are cheap ($49.95), Computer Games reliable, and sometimes surprisingly accessible, In late 1997, we started to look for another with built-in AI interfaces. Moreover, computer application area, one where we could use what games avoid many of the criticisms often lev- we learned from computer-generated forces eled against simulations. They are real products and pursue further research on human-level and real environments on their own that mil- intelligence. We think we have found it in lions of humans vigorously interact with and interactive computer games. The games we are become immersed in. Finally, unlike military talking about are not Chess, Checkers, Bridge, simulations, we do not need to hunt out Othello, or Go, which emphasize only a few experts on these games; they surround us. human capabilities such as search and decision Another reason for AI researchers to work in making. The types of game we are talking computer games is that if we don’t start work- about use the computer to create virtual worlds ing in this area, the computer game industry and characters for people to dynamically inter- will push ahead without us (Woodcock 2000). act with—games such as Doom, Quake, Tomb Already there are at least five AI Ph.D.s working Raider, Starcraft, Myth, Madden Football, Diablo, in the industry (Takahashi 2000). AI researchers Everquest, and Asheron’s Call. have the opportunity to team with an aggres- Human-level AI can have an impact on these sive, talented, and caffeine-charged industry in games by creating enemies, partners, and sup- the pursuit of human-level AI. Here is a list of 16 AI MAGAZINE Articles reasons for AI researchers to take the computer puter games research,1 and some of the biggest game industry seriously (Laird 2000a). computer game companies (for example, Elec- First, computer game developers are starting tronic Arts in England and Sony) have started to recognize the need for human-level AI. Syn- research centers that include research in AI. thetic human-level characters are playing an More funding could become available as more increasingly important role in many genres of game developers discover they need help with computer games and have the potential to lead the AI in their products to push for a competi- to completely new genres. tive advantage. Much of the research could get Second, the computer game industry is high- done in nontraditional ways, with the involve- ly competitive, and a strong component of this ment of undergraduates, game developers, and competition is technology.

Load more

  12

Copy Link