AI trained to play video games in stepping stone to real world applications

China

AI trained to play video games in stepping stone to real world applications

2026-03-07 21:36 Last Updated At：03-09 11:52

University students and researchers have been training AI agents to master complex strategic video games, an area believed to be a key training ground for the next generation of artificial intelligence (AI).

At a lab inside the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, which locates in the southwestern city of Chengdu, AI agents are trained on "Honor of Kings," a hit game that has become wildly popular in esports circles. Students in the lab place the AI in various scenarios in attempts to have it optimize play.

"What we mostly do now is to work with students on game-related tech, combining it with AI, and using that to solve different kinds of problems," said Xie Ning, a professor of the School of Computer Science and Engineering under the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China.

According to the researchers, experiments teaching AI to play complex games lays the groundwork for training it to operate in realistic environments.

"With a game engine, we could build environments that mirror the real world. What people used to call the 'metaverse', or something like that. We run simulations and do research in these 'parallel worlds', then use that to build world models and test our AI algorithms. Once these AI algorithms are proven effective, we deploy them in real-world industrial systems," said Liu Zhitao, a research assistant of the School of Computer Science and Engineering.

"What we hope to do is to take the research from universities and push it into broader real-world use. It's basically what China has been talking about, turning scientific achievements into something that actually lands in the real world," Xie said.

Though the vision might sound far-fetched, the professor emphasized that video game-based research has already resulted in many AI breakthroughs that have reshaped industries.

"In fact, this now also includes smart city management, digital twin factories, and immersive operations systems, which all grew out of game tech. Now they're being used to power smart manufacturing, city management, and other industries," Xie said.

Since China's 14th Five-Year-Plan (2021-2025) called for the digital transformation of cultural industries, video games, as a powerful cultural medium, have carried works inspired by traditional Chinese culture to audiences worldwide.

As China enters the first year of its 15th Five-Year-Plan (2026-2030), AI has moved to the center of national development, and the gaming industry is gaining new significance in the rise of AI.

Northeast China's Jilin steps up flood control as Typhoon Bavi brings heavy rain

Flood control and disaster relief teams are stepping up efforts in Piaohe Township, Jiaohe City, in northeast China’s Jilin Province as Typhoon Bavi moves northward, bringing intense rainfall across the region.

Typhoon Bavi, the ninth of the year, made landfall twice along the coast of east China's Zhejiang Province at 23:20 Saturday and again around midnight, then moved inland. It is the second typhoon this month following Typhoon Maysak, which brought heavy floods and wreaked havoc in southern China.

Piaohe Township, located in the southeastern part of Jiaohe City, is among the hardest-hit areas. The township is particularly vulnerable due to converging water flows from the upstream Baishishan and Pihe River basins. To cope with the heavy downpour, more than 440 emergency personnel in the township have been deployed to prevent flood and evacuate residents from affected areas to safer locations.

The continuous rainfall has pushed water levels of Piaohe and Qingbei rivers flowing through the township to exceed warning thresholds, posing dangers of flash floods, landslides, and mudslides.

"We have activated 24-hour duty shifts, with inspections of rainfall conditions and potential hazards conducted every two hours. We are making effort to evacuate residents along the Piaohe River and Qingbei (river) basins to ensure their safety," said Zhang Peng, secretary of the Communist Party of China branch of Piaohe Township.

According to the Jiaohe City's Flood Control and Drought Relief Department, the cumulative rainfall in the City has reached 156.7 mm as of 15:00 on Tuesday.

Local authorities have coordinated efforts across multiple departments to promptly inspect and repair damaged roads and embankments, aiming to minimize the risk of river flooding.