DeepMind’s SIMA Navigates Virtual Worlds Like a Human
A Smarter Player Has Entered the Game
DeepMind has launched a new artificial intelligence agent named SIMA (Scalable Instructable Multiworld Agent), designed to understand and perform general tasks in complex 3D environments without specialized training. Unlike traditional game AI, which is usually trained to master specific games or objectives, SIMA listens to plain-English instructions and adapts across a variety of open-world video games—including No Man’s Sky, Valheim, and Goat Simulator 3. The agent observes the screen and uses keyboard and mouse inputs—just like a human player—offering a glimpse into AI that could navigate realistic environments or learn how to help with complex real-world tasks.
The Path to General-Purpose AI
Rather than being optimized for superhuman performance, SIMA emphasizes generalization and flexibility. Researchers believe this approach puts us closer to versatile AI that can learn how to solve tasks it’s never seen before. Currently, SIMA reaches human-level performance on roughly 600 types of tasks like turning, navigating, or opening objects—but the ultimate goal is to scale these skills to even more complex and abstract missions. As SIMA’s capabilities grow, it could lay the groundwork for real-world applications such as robotics, assistants, or training simulators, bridging artificial intelligence and real human adaptability.
