Bots vs. the World!
Global takeover of AI bots in gaming
Artificial Intelligence Bots in Poker
In our first post, we mentioned the growth of bots within poker platforms in which a bot, named Libratus, was able to beat six experienced poker players in no-limit Texas Hold’Em. This bot was created in 2017, and since then, has sparked innovation for smarter, more advanced bots. In a recent article by WIRED, they interviewed the next generation of poker bots created by Noam Brown and Tuomas Sandholm, that is even more complex than its previous version. They named this bot the Pluribus project. Brown argued that this new poker bot was even more advanced than its predecessor and had the capabilities to perform better at poker. By using AI strategizing techniques, Pluribus could strategize and predict multiple variables, allowing it to play better than ever before. Along with poker, Brown mentioned that the AI technology used for the Pluribus project could potentially be applied to other fields and industries that range from self-driving cars to military tactics.
Bots in DOTA
Bots are not only relevant to poker sites, but have also branched out to other games. In 2018, Open AI, an Elon Musk start-up created their first bot called “OpenAI Five” for the online strategic multiplayer game, Defense of the Ancients or “DOTA.” Originally, the OpenAI bot was able to use AI to defeat some of the top players in 1v1 matches. Since then, OpenAI has been working to further advance their bots, even being able to use the bots to compete in 5v5 matches. In 2019, OpenAI Five became the first AI to beat an esports team after they crushed the DOTA World Champions, OG, in a 5v5 match. In an article by The Verge, they noted that some of these bots have been practicing every day and even years worth of games to become better. Because they are bots and have the ability to play games faster, their bots have literally trained over 180 years of DOTA 2 per day in simulated gameplay.
The article mentioned that in order to train and improve the bots over time, the lab used reinforced learning to improve their bots. These bots are thrown into the testing environment and through trial and error, test out different strategies. When completing a goal, these bots are rewarded points for their actions and continue to repeat rewarded actions. While these bots slowly begin to learn simple tasks, over time, they begin to pick up more complex objectives the more they play.
Fortnite and Other Multiplayer Games
One of the biggest games that has taken the world by storm has been Fortnite, a multiplayer, battle royale game developed by Epic Games released in 2017. Since taking over popular culture, Fortnite is another game that has been impacted by bots in recent years. One of the main gaming mechanics used in Fortnite is the ability to build. In Fortnite, users can harvest different materials by breaking down structures and then using it to create ramps and walls. This mechanic allows users to build different defense structures or get the high ground above other players. This mechanic has also allowed the creation of “auto-build” bots in which players can create large, complex structures in a matter of seconds. By abusing this gaming mechanic, these bots have a huge advantage over human players, making it easier to win and outplay human players.
Another bot that has been popular in Fortnite is the Aim-Bot. Fortnite has a variety of different weapons ranging from Desert-Eagle style “Hand Cannon” to the automatic “Drum Gun” that allow players to kill others and collect their loot. As the name states, there are also bots that have total accuracy and precision with these weapons, being able to tag and kill players with ease. The inclusion of aim-bots have made been destructive to Fortnite and gives us another glimpse of the impact of bots.
Bots are also commonly used by game developers themselves and can also be very instrumental in some games. In Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), bots are commonly use to fill up lobbies when short on human players. Most of the time, bots are pretty manageable and do not impact the game too heavily. But for BOT Connor, it’s the complete opposite. In a post by popular gaming blog PCGamer, BOT Connor is seen absolutely destroying human players, going on a killing streak and mowing down the entire enemy team.
In the upcoming years, expect to see the growth of bots in different games! While many platforms are starting to crackdown on bots, we here at Probot Playground cannot wait to see the next generation of gaming bots.
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See you on the playground!
