Microsoft Releases Project Malmo To Enable AI Research Inside Of Minecraft

Who knew what Minecraft would become when it first hit the scene over seven years ago? At first, the game just seemed like a fun digital sandbox, allowing people to build really cool creations with a simple collection of different blocks. Since its original launch, though, Minecraft has expanded to include many more blocks and mechanics – it’s no wonder why millions of people get lost in its universe.

It’s not just all about fun and games, though. Over time, we’ve seen people build everything from scientific calculators to working smartphones. As it happens, Microsoft isn’t oblivious to the educational potential of Minecraft, and even has a special educational version en route.

What’s next? How about allowing researchers to use the game to test out their artificial intelligence creations? After all, the Minecraft world is perfect for such things. It’s flexible… seriously flexible.

Well, beginning right now, Microsoft is allowing anyone to take advantage of its Project Malmo source code, available for download on GitHub. With it, anyone with programming knowledge can inject their AI into the Minecraft server client, and then interact with its unique capabilities when inside of the game world.

The possibilities are endless here. Researchers could use this sort of solution for everything from researching conversational AI to autonomous driving (warning, blocky roads ahead!).

Releasing Project Malmo to the public is a seriously cool move on Microsoft’s part, and really reinforces its decision to shell out a staggering $2.5 billion for Mojang’s creation two years ago.