SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: Self-Aware Mario

Photo via The Guardian.

German researchers have developed a version of Super Mario Bros., that makes Mario self-aware. He is able to experience emotions and act autonomously in response to them. The AI also understands voice instructions and questions. It's sophisticated enough that Mario can be fed information that he will remember and eventually act upon it. There's a five-minute video in Polygon that gives a detailed explanation of how this experiment works, have a look here. (E.T.P. 5')

And a nice article by our beloved Charlie Brooker in The Guardian: "This meta-Mario experiences basic emotions, is compelled to act by urges such as “hunger” and “curiosity”, and is painfully aware that he only exists within a meaningless two-dimensional artificial framework from which he can never escape. As such, he’s more advanced than I am. And he looks better in a hat. I think I hate him, although there’s every possibility that’s just what I’ve been programmed to do." Read full article in The Guardian. E.T.P. 3'