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DeepMind AI now keeps up with 'StarCraft II' Grandmasters
DeepMind's StarCraft II AI can already hang with human players, but now it's ready to handle the best of the best. The team has revealed that its AlphaStar AI can play one-on-one matches in the real-time strategy game at a Grandmaster level for all three factions (Terran, Protoss, Zerg). The AI is better than 99.8 percent of human players on Battle.net, according to DeepMind. It's also governed by real-world restrictions, such as using the same virtual camera views, limited map info and even the number of actions per minute. The trick was to mimic the training of pro StarCraft players using a modified version of the usual reinforcement learning system.
DeepMind's ‘Starcraft II’ AI will play public matches
Players will soon get a chance to battle it out with DeepMind's Starcraft II AI. Alphabet and Blizzard will test AlphaStar in a small number of public matches. It'll be a Herculean task for the human players, to put it lightly. The AI has the accumulated knowledge of 200 years of playing Starcraft II, and earlier this year beat a team of professional players 10-1. So, for the average gamer, the odds of beating AlphaStar are laughably impossible -- but it'll be fun to watch.
Broadband stimulus plan comes to life, rural teens 'psyched'
The broadband stimulus project is moving forwards in the manner most familiar to our federal bureaucracy: meetings. Lots and lots of meetings. The inaugural soiree was recently held at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's swank Washington, D.C. headquarters, and included bon mots such as this one by acting FCC Chairman Michael Copps: "Where's the policy for broadband? Where's the action? Where's the beef?" Ouch. Among the first items of business, the group must figure out exactly which connectivity solution to back, with several companies weighing in -- most of 'em (including Spaceway and Wild Blue) going the pure broadband route, while an outfit called AlphaStar has a hybrid satellite / terrestrial service (where the satellite backbone connects to homes over terrestrial wireless systems). Also to be debated is the wisdom of privately owned vs. municipally owned wireless broadband. Either way, we sure hope that our nation's unwired get some help soon -- why should Boxxy have all the fun?
