The information: A brand new AI agent from Google DeepMind can play totally different video games, together with ones it has by no means seen earlier than resembling Goat Simulator 3, a enjoyable motion recreation with exaggerated physics. Unlike earlier game-playing AI programs, which mastered just one recreation or may solely comply with single objectives or instructions, this new agent is ready to play a wide range of totally different video games, together with Valheim and No Man’s Sky.
How they did it: Researchers had been in a position to get it to comply with textual content instructions to play seven totally different video games and transfer round in three totally different 3D analysis environments. They educated it on plenty of examples of people enjoying video video games, alongside keyboard and mouse enter and annotations of what the gamers did. Then they used an AI approach referred to as imitation studying to show the agent to play video games as people would.
Why it’s a giant deal: It’s a step towards extra generalized AI that may switch expertise throughout a number of environments—and this type of data switch between video games represents a big milestone for AI analysis. Read the total story.
—Melissa Heikkilä
Methane leaks within the US are worse than we thought
What’s taking place: Methane emissions within the US are worse than scientists beforehand estimated, a brand new examine has discovered. The analysis represents probably the most complete surveys but of methane emissions from US oil- and gas-producing areas, and discovered that emissions had been considerably larger than beforehand estimated.
The large image: The examine highlights the pressing want for brand new and higher methods of monitoring the highly effective greenhouse fuel. The drawback is, it’s mainly unimaginable to make use of only one instrument to measure all of the totally different methane sources. Read the total story.
—Casey Crownhart
To study extra about why methane emissions are nonetheless such a thriller, try the most recent version of The Spark, our weekly local weather e-newsletter. Sign up to obtain it in your inbox each Wednesday.



