Microsoft open sources Project Malmo, which lets researchers use Minecraft for AI research

Project Malmo is a platform for Artificial Intelligence experimentation and research built on top of Minecraft. Microsoft today announced that they are making it available for everyone on GitHub via an open-source license. This project was formerly known as Project AIX and has now been renamed Project Malmo. Minecraft is ideal for artificial intelligence research for the same reason it is addictively appealing to the millions of fans who enter its virtual world every day. Unlike other computer games, Minecraft offers its users endless possibilities, ranging from simple tasks like walking around looking for treasure to complex ones like building a structure with a group of teammates.

The system, which had until now only been open to a small group of computer scientistsin private preview, is primarily designed to help researchers develop sophisticated, more general artificial intelligence, or AI, that can do things like learn, hold conversations, make decisions and complete complex tasks.

That’s key to creating systems that can augment human intelligence — and eventually help us with everything from cooking and doing laundry to driving and performing lifesaving tasks in an operating room.

Read about it in detail here.