Combining reinforcement learning with search (RL+Search) has been tremendously successful for perfect-information games. But prior RL+Search algorithms break down in imperfect-information games. We introduce ReBeL, an algorithm that for the first time enables sound RL+Search in imperfect-information games like poker.
ReBeL achieves superhuman performance in heads-up no-limit Texas Hold’em while using far less domain knowledge than any prior poker bot and extends to other imperfect-information games as well, such as Liar’s Dice, for which we’ve open-sourced our implementation.
ReBeL is a major step toward creating ever more general AI algorithms. Read More
Daily Archives: December 4, 2020
Autonomous balloons take flight with artificial intelligence
An artificially intelligent controller can station a stratospheric balloon for weeks at a time without full knowledge of surrounding winds, opening up the prospect of unsupervised environmental monitoring.
The goal of an autonomous machine is to achieve an objective by making decisions while negotiating a dynamic environment. Given complete knowledge of a system’s current state, artificial intelligence and machine learning can excel at this, and even outperform humans at certain tasks — for example, when playing arcade and turn-based board games1. But beyond the idealized world of games, real-world deployment of automated machines is hampered by environments that can be noisy and chaotic, and which are not adequately observed. The difficulty of devising long-term strategies from incomplete data can also hinder the operation of independent AI agents in real-world challenges. Writing in Nature, Bellemare et al.2 describe a way forward by demonstrating that stratospheric balloons, guided by AI, can pursue a long-term strategy for positioning themselves about a location on the Equator, even when precise knowledge of buffeting winds is not known. Read More
Conway’s Law: Critical For Efficient Team Design In Tech
Conway’s law is critical to understanding the forces at play when organizing teams amidst the long-lasting, unattended impact they can have on our software systems, as the latter have become larger and more interconnected than ever before. But you might wonder if a law from 1968 about software architecture has stood the test of time.
We’ve come a long way after all: microservices, the cloud, containers, serverless. Such novelties can help teams improve locally, but the larger the organization, the harder it becomes to reap the full benefits. The way teams are set up and interact is often based on past projects and/or legacy technologies (reflecting the latest org-chart design, which might be years old, if not decades).
This quote from Ruth Malan provides what could be seen as the modern version of Conway’s law: “If the architecture of the system and the architecture of the organization are at odds, the architecture of the organization wins.” Read More
Light-based Quantum Computer Exceeds Fastest Classical Supercomputers
The setup of lasers and mirrors effectively “solved” a problem far too complicated for even the largest traditional computer system.
For the first time, a quantum computer made from photons—particles of light—has outperformed even the fastest classical supercomputers.
Physicists led by Chao-Yang Lu and Jian-Wei Pan of the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in Shanghai performed a technique called Gaussian boson sampling with their quantum computer, named Jiŭzhāng. The result, reported in the journal Science, was 76 detected photons—far above and beyond the previous record of five detected photons and the capabilities of classical supercomputers. Read More
Why Intel believes confidential computing will boost AI and machine learning
Companies are collecting increasing amounts of data, a trend that is driving the development of better analytical tools and tougher security. Analysis and security are now converging as confidential computing prepares to deliver a critical boost to artificial intelligence.
Intel has been investing heavily in confidential computing as a way to expand the amount and types of data companies will manage through cloud services. Read More
‘I know your favourite drink’: Chinese smart city to put AI in charge
From robots delivering coffee to office chairs rearranging themselves after a meeting, a smart city project in China aims to put artificial intelligence in charge, its creators told a conference this week – raising some eyebrows.
Danish architecture firm BIG and Chinese tech company Terminus discussed plans to build an AI-run campus-style development in the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing during an online panel at Web Summit, a global tech conference. Read More
Bjarke Ingels Is Designing an Artificial Intelligence-Based ‘Smart City’ in China
A space where the barriers between humans and artificial intelligence will be removed.
After smartphones and smart homes, the next logical step is smart cities. Who better to take us there then superstar architect Bjarke Ingels, a noted off-the-wall thinker, and Terminus Group, a burgeoning Chinese tech firm that specializes in smart services.
Bjarke Ingles Group (BIG) recently unveiled plans for a striking, high-tech hub that will become the future headquarters for the firm. Read More
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