Military researchers launch new project to develop a drone AI based on video game player behavior

Researchers at the University of Buffalo have received a $316,000 grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), an agency funded by the US Department of Defense, to develop an artificial intelligence capable of controlling swarms of up to 250 drones. To created the experimental AI, scientists from the university's Artificial Intelligence Institute will study video game players as they pilot autonomous swarms of digital military units in real time strategy games like StarCraft, Stellaris, and Company of Heroes. The team will collect data on how the players react to a wide variety of different tactical challenges as well as watching how they react to unexpected changes in the terrain or terms of battle. Researchers at the University of Buffalo's Artificial Intelligence Institute will study the way video game players make choices in real time strategy games like StarCraft and Company of Heroes to develop an AI that can control swarms of up to 250 drones'We don't want the AI system just to mimic human behavior; we want it to form a deeper understanding of what motivates human actions,' University of Buffalo's Souma Chowdhury told the school's news site. 'That's what will lead to more advanced AI.' The team will also collect a range of biometric data from the players, through eyetracking software and electroencephalograms, which monitors brain activity while they play.