War Against the Machines: Google AI Lurking on Starcraft 2 Ladder

[Paratus]

The same Google Deepmind team that created the AlphaGo A.I. that crushed top human Go players has dropped an AI that plays Starcraft 2.

It’s currently playing semi-anonymous games on the European ladder against regular players if you’ve opted in.

I say semi-anonymous because the players have figured out the three accounts it’s currently using.

While Chess and Go have fallen to computers (jeopardy too) Starcraft 2 has several differences that make it difficult for AIs to ever be 100% successful beating top human players. Unlike Chess and Go Starcraft 2 is real-time strategy as opposed to turn based. It’s also impossible to have full knowledge of the board and the position of all units due to the fog of war

So the three accounts they found (one for each SC2 race) have each played 50 games with a 90% win rate. Their rating puts them roughly mid masters level and once they started playing at that level they started losing. (For those who don’t play there is a grandmaster level above master with the tippy top being pro-level players)

Here’s some game play with commentary.
Zerg

Protoss

Terran
https://youtu.be/Cz3nCSOv5iY

 

[GobBluth]

I have a hard enough time surviving the Zealot rush in SC1 multiplayer. I think I'll pass on SC2 now.

 

[zinfamous]

lol @ Seven Minutes in Heaven and Calvinball.

also--Snakes and Ladders is real, right? I'm not at all familiar with it and so wonder why it's considered so difficult for computers. --oh wait, I'm guessing this is one of those games determined by dice roll?

 

[Paratus]

lol @ Seven Minutes in Heaven and Calvinball.

also--Snakes and Ladders is real, right? I'm not at all familiar with it and so wonder why it's considered so difficult for computers. --oh wait, I'm guessing this is one of those games determined by dice roll?

You may have heard of it as chutes and ladders. And yes it’s directly based on the randomness of the spinner to win.

 

[zinfamous]

You may have heard of it as chutes and ladders. And yes it’s directly based on the randomness of the spinner to win.

I assumed it was the same, but also never played chutes and ladders. ...but like all of those kid games, it's dice or spinner and so simple dumb luck.