4 ms·

It's quite common in games for AI to pick a random decision. Simply put, a good AI is a character/NPC that appears to have a mind of its own, and its own life.

by keyle 7y ago

It's quite common in games for AI to pick a random decision. Simply put, a good AI is a character/NPC that appears to have a mind of its own, and its own life. Nothing beats random at explaining someone's behaviour based on a personal history you don't know. If AI responded/acted based on a predefined set of patterns that could be recognizable, the player would automatically feel it (pattern matching) and makes the NPC far less interesting.

mezentius 7y ago
Right-- but often an NPC is merely scenery or traffic, in the sense that their behavior does not compete with your interests. What I found interesting about the football example is that the random strategy of the NPC-oach both suggested a deeper intelligence AND proved to be an apparently effective opponent. Beyond reinforcing our tendency to project, as you say, a personal history on random behavior, it also highlights what a few other people have commented: that in many non-cooperative situations a committed random strategy is extremely effective, and perhaps more effective than a biased, seemingly "rational" strategy. (For another example, I believe Henrich's "The Secret Of Our Success" discusses the possible adaptive benefits of divination as a generator for random strategies among early societies.)
- roywiggins 7y ago
  It's how in Rock Paper Scissors you can probably do better against a smart opponent by playing randomly than by trying to trick them. At least they can't get in your head, because there's nothing there. You won't do better than chance, but at least you can't do much worse.
  - sdenton4 7y ago
    So, use a random strategy and measure the entropy of your opponent's behavior. And modify accordingly, as needed. A lot of the best ml right now is effectively about making better conditional probability distributions. You always get random output, but skewed according to the circumstances, and sharp according to confidence in the result.
hippich 7y ago
Unless you consider that randomness, whatever source, is some form of intelligence. (I am only half-joking here).
xmprt 7y ago
I'm not sure what the term for it is, but humans have an uncanny ability to ascribe meaning to pure randomness. I'm not surprised a random AI can appear smart.
- n2j3 7y ago
  When your audio player picks these random tracks https://i.imgur.com/QRoGQRy.png https://i.imgur.com/QRoGQRy.png (example from earlier in the day) you start believing in a Higher Power..

by keyle 7y ago

mezentius 7y ago

Right-- but often an NPC is merely scenery or traffic, in the sense that their behavior does not compete with your interests. What I found interesting about the football example is that the random strategy of the NPC-oach both suggested a deeper intelligence AND proved to be an apparently effective opponent. Beyond reinforcing our tendency to project, as you say, a personal history on random behavior, it also highlights what a few other people have commented: that in many non-cooperative situations a committed random strategy is extremely effective, and perhaps more effective than a biased, seemingly "rational" strategy. (For another example, I believe Henrich's "The Secret Of Our Success" discusses the possible adaptive benefits of divination as a generator for random strategies among early societies.)

roywiggins 7y ago
It's how in Rock Paper Scissors you can probably do better against a smart opponent by playing randomly than by trying to trick them. At least they can't get in your head, because there's nothing there. You won't do better than chance, but at least you can't do much worse.
- sdenton4 7y ago
  So, use a random strategy and measure the entropy of your opponent's behavior. And modify accordingly, as needed. A lot of the best ml right now is effectively about making better conditional probability distributions. You always get random output, but skewed according to the circumstances, and sharp according to confidence in the result.

hippich 7y ago

Unless you consider that randomness, whatever source, is some form of intelligence. (I am only half-joking here).

xmprt 7y ago

I'm not sure what the term for it is, but humans have an uncanny ability to ascribe meaning to pure randomness. I'm not surprised a random AI can appear smart.

n2j3 7y ago
When your audio player picks these random tracks https://i.imgur.com/QRoGQRy.png https://i.imgur.com/QRoGQRy.png (example from earlier in the day) you start believing in a Higher Power..