Can AI Beat Humans in Games? DeepNash Says Yes!
Games have been an integral part of human culture for centuries. From ancient board games to modern video games, games have always been a way to entertain ourselves and challenge our minds.
One of the areas where AI has made significant progress is in the field of games. Games are a great platform for testing the capabilities of AI systems, and there have been several cases where AI has outperformed human players. In this article, we will talk about one of these cases when an AI system called DeepNash beat a person in the game Stratego.
What is Stratego?
Stratego is a board game that was invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 20th century. The game is played on a board with a 10x10 grid. Each player has 40 pieces, including soldiers, bombs, and a flag. The goal of the game is to capture the enemy’s flag or immobilize all his pieces. The game requires strategic thinking and deception, as the players do not know the identity of the opponent’s pieces.
What is DeepNash?
DeepNash is an artificial intelligence system developed by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University. The system is designed for conducting games and making decisions based on the principles of game theory. Game theory is a branch of mathematics that deals with strategic decision-making. It is widely used in economics, politics, and psychology. DeepNash uses deep reinforcement learning, a type of machine learning, to learn and improve its strategies over time.
How Does DeepNash Work?
DeepNash is a cutting-edge technology that deploys an innovative approach by combining game theory and model-free deep reinforcement learning. Unlike other models, DeepNash doesn’t attempt to model the opponent’s private game-state during the game. This is because such modeling would be ineffective, especially in the early stages of the game when DeepNash has minimal knowledge about the opponent’s pieces.
DeepNash employs a new game-theoretic algorithm called Regularised Nash Dynamics, which helps steer its learning behavior toward a Nash equilibrium.
To prevent opponents from spotting patterns, DeepNash follows a randomization strategy, creating varied initial deployments and randomizing equivalent actions during the game phase.
How DeepNash Achieved Victory in Stratego
In 2019, DeepNash took part in a Stratego tournament and defeated several human players. The system was able to win the tournament using a combination of strategic thinking and deception. DeepNash was able to identify the opponent’s pieces and make decisions based on the probability of success. The system also used various deceptive tactics, such as placing bombs in strategic locations and using decoy figures to mislead the enemy.
Comparison of DeepNash and Human Work
DeepNash’s victory in Stratego raises questions about the capabilities of artificial intelligence systems compared to human players. Although DeepNash was able to win the tournament, it is important to note that the system was specifically designed for playing Stratego. Human players, on the other hand, can learn and adapt to different games and situations. In addition, human players can think creatively and come up with non-standard strategies.
Consequences of AI-Winning Games
DeepNash’s victory in Stratego has consequences that go beyond games. It demonstrates AI’s potential to outperform humans in decision-making scenarios. This has implications for areas such as finance, politics, and military strategy. AI systems can be trained to make decisions based on complex data sets and can potentially outperform humans in certain scenarios.
The Future of AI in Games
DeepNash’s success in Stratego is just one example of the potential of AI in games. In the future, AI systems can be used to develop new and improve existing games. AI systems can also be used to create more realistic and challenging opponents in video games. In addition, AI systems can be used to analyze player behavior and develop strategies to improve gameplay.
Ethical Aspects of Using AI in Games
The use of AI in games raises several ethical issues. One of them is related to the possibility of using AI systems to cheat in games. AI systems can be used to identify weaknesses in game design and use them to gain an unfair advantage. In addition, the use of AI in games may raise concerns about the impact on the mental health of players. AI systems can be designed to create addictive gameplay, which can harm players.
Conclusion
The triumph of DeepNash in the Stratego game showcases the potential of AI systems to surpass humans in decision-making scenarios. Our team is working on creating an emotional AI companion named Nova that integrates natural language processing, strategic thinking, and game theory. We believe that this approach, combined with various domains of AI, will lead to the creation of AGI that would benefit humanity.
To conclude, DeepNash’s victory in the Stratego game is a significant milestone in the development of AI systems for games. As AI technology advances, it is essential to consider the ethical implications of its use not only in games but also in other areas of life.
