Simulated environments have been essential to advancing the field of artificial intelligence, providing vast amounts of synthetic data that tests novel approaches safely and efficiently. This has most often taken the form of games, ranging from simple board games to modern multiplayer strategy games. These games served as a good starting point, but Danny Lange (Unity Technologies) reveals an opportunity to push the state of the art in AI research to the next level. United introduced the Obstacle Tower, a high-visual-fidelity, 3-D, third-person, procedurally generated game environment purpose built to test a deep reinforcement learning-trained agent's vision, control, planning, and generalization abilities. Over the past year, Unity invited researchers and developers to try to solve the tower with the intention of sharing those insights with the broader community. Prerequisite knowledge A basic knowledge of machine learning and AI What you'll learn See how you can use what Unity learned from hosting the challenges to engage the broader community to advance AI research Find out how participants fared as they attempted to solve the tower, what that taught Unity, and what's next for Obstacle Tower as it continues pushing advances in deep reinforcement learning Learn how observing emergent behaviors of multiple AI agents in a simulated virtual environment can lead to the most optimal designs and real-world practices This session is from the 2019 O'Reilly Artificial Intelligence Conference in San Jose, CA.

This book starts by presenting the basics of reinforcement learning using highly intuitive and easy-to-understand examples and applications, and then introduces the cutting-edge research advances that make reinforcement learning capable of out-performing most state-of-art systems, and even humans in a number of applications. The book not only equips readers with an understanding of multiple advanced and innovative algorithms, but also prepares them to implement systems such as those created by Google Deep Mind in actual code. This book is intended for readers who want to both understand and apply advanced concepts in a field that combines the best of two worlds – deep learning and reinforcement learning – to tap the potential of ‘advanced artificial intelligence’ for creating real-world applications and game-winning algorithms.

"Mastering Reinforcement Learning: Advanced Techniques" is the definitive guide for anyone aspiring to deepen their understanding and expertise in reinforcement learning (RL). This comprehensive book navigates through the core concepts and theoretical underpinnings of RL, advancing to cutting-edge techniques and applications that are defining the future of artificial intelligence. From foundational principles to the exploration of complex environments, each chapter meticulously unfolds the complexities of RL, offering detailed insights into model-based and model-free approaches, deep reinforcement learning, policy gradient methods, advanced exploration strategies, multi-agent systems, and the transformative potential of transfer and meta-learning. Whether you are a graduate student, academic researcher, or an industry practitioner, this book serves as an invaluable resource, providing a deep dive into the strategies that enable intelligent decision-making in dynamic and uncertain environments. Through clear explanations, algorithmic descriptions, and practical examples, readers will grasp the nuances of crafting sophisticated reinforcement learning models that can navigate the challenges of real-world applications. Embark on a journey to mastering reinforcement learning with "Mastering Reinforcement Learning: Advanced Techniques" and unlock the potential to innovate and excel in the rapidly evolving field of AI.

Summary Humans learn best from feedback—we are encouraged to take actions that lead to positive results while deterred by decisions with negative consequences. This reinforcement process can be applied to computer programs allowing them to solve more complex problems that classical programming cannot. Deep Reinforcement Learning in Action teaches you the fundamental concepts and terminology of deep reinforcement learning, along with the practical skills and techniques you’ll need to implement it into your own projects. Purchase of the print book includes a free eBook in PDF, Kindle, and ePub formats from Manning Publications. About the technology Deep reinforcement learning AI systems rapidly adapt to new environments, a vast improvement over standard neural networks. A DRL agent learns like people do, taking in raw data such as sensor input and refining its responses and predictions through trial and error. About the book Deep Reinforcement Learning in Action teaches you how to program AI agents that adapt and improve based on direct feedback from their environment. In this example-rich tutorial, you’ll master foundational and advanced DRL techniques by taking on interesting challenges like navigating a maze and playing video games. Along the way, you’ll work with core algorithms, including deep Q-networks and policy gradients, along with industry-standard tools like PyTorch and OpenAI Gym. What's inside Building and training DRL networks The most popular DRL algorithms for learning and problem solving Evolutionary algorithms for curiosity and multi-agent learning All examples available as Jupyter Notebooks About the reader For readers with intermediate skills in Python and deep learning. About the author Alexander Zai is a machine learning engineer at Amazon AI. Brandon Brown is a machine learning and data analysis blogger. Table of Contents PART 1 - FOUNDATIONS 1. What is reinforcement learning? 2. Modeling reinforcement learning problems: Markov decision processes 3. Predicting the best states and actions: Deep Q-networks 4. Learning to pick the best policy: Policy gradient methods 5. Tackling more complex problems with actor-critic methods PART 2 - ABOVE AND BEYOND 6. Alternative optimization methods: Evolutionary algorithms 7. Distributional DQN: Getting the full story 8.Curiosity-driven exploration 9. Multi-agent reinforcement learning 10. Interpretable reinforcement learning: Attention and relational models 11. In conclusion: A review and roadmap

This book serves as a bridge connecting the theoretical foundations of DRL with practical, actionable insights for implementing these technologies in a variety of industrial contexts, making it a valuable resource for professionals and enthusiasts at the forefront of technological innovation. Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) represents one of the most dynamic and impactful areas of research and development in the field of artificial intelligence. Bridging the gap between decision-making theory and powerful deep learning models, DRL has evolved from academic curiosity to a cornerstone technology driving innovation across numerous industries. Its core premise—enabling machines to learn optimal actions within complex environments through trial and error—has broad implications, from automating intricate decision processes to optimizing operations that were previously beyond the reach of traditional AI techniques. “Deep Reinforcement Learning and Its Industrial Use Cases: AI for Real-World Applications” is an essential guide for anyone eager to understand the nexus between cutting-edge artificial intelligence techniques and practical industrial applications. This book not only demystifies the complex theory behind deep reinforcement learning (DRL) but also provides a clear roadmap for implementing these advanced algorithms in a variety of industries to solve real-world problems. Through a careful blend of theoretical foundations, practical insights, and diverse case studies, the book offers a comprehensive look into how DRL is revolutionizing fields such as finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and more, by optimizing decisions in dynamic and uncertain environments. This book distills years of research and practical experience into accessible and actionable knowledge. Whether you’re an AI professional seeking to expand your toolkit, a business leader aiming to leverage AI for competitive advantage, or a student or academic researching the latest in AI applications, this book provides valuable insights and guidance. Beyond just exploring the successes of DRL, it critically examines challenges, pitfalls, and ethical considerations, preparing readers to not only implement DRL solutions but to do so responsibly and effectively. Audience The book will be read by researchers, postgraduate students, and industry engineers in machine learning and artificial intelligence, as well as those in business and industry seeking to understand how DRL can be applied to solve complex industry-specific challenges and improve operational efficiency.

Deep reinforcement learning has attracted considerable attention recently. Impressive results have been achieved in such diverse fields as autonomous driving, game playing, molecular recombination, and robotics. In all these fields, computer programs have taught themselves to understand problems that were previously considered to be very difficult. In the game of Go, the program AlphaGo has even learned to outmatch three of the world’s leading players.Deep reinforcement learning takes its inspiration from the fields of biology and psychology. Biology has inspired the creation of artificial neural networks and deep learning, while psychology studies how animals and humans learn, and how subjects’ desired behavior can be reinforced with positive and negative stimuli. When we see how reinforcement learning teaches a simulated robot to walk, we are reminded of how children learn, through playful exploration. Techniques that are inspired by biology and psychology work amazingly well in computers: animal behavior and the structure of the brain as new blueprints for science and engineering. In fact, computers truly seem to possess aspects of human behavior; as such, this field goes to the heart of the dream of artificial intelligence. These research advances have not gone unnoticed by educators. Many universities have begun offering courses on the subject of deep reinforcement learning. The aim of this book is to provide an overview of the field, at the proper level of detail for a graduate course in artificial intelligence. It covers the complete field, from the basic algorithms of Deep Q-learning, to advanced topics such as multi-agent reinforcement learning and meta learning.

Grokking Deep Reinforcement Learning uses engaging exercises to teach you how to build deep learning systems. This book combines annotated Python code with intuitive explanations to explore DRL techniques. You’ll see how algorithms function and learn to develop your own DRL agents using evaluative feedback. Summary We all learn through trial and error. We avoid the things that cause us to experience pain and failure. We embrace and build on the things that give us reward and success. This common pattern is the foundation of deep reinforcement learning: building machine learning systems that explore and learn based on the responses of the environment. Grokking Deep Reinforcement Learning introduces this powerful machine learning approach, using examples, illustrations, exercises, and crystal-clear teaching. You'll love the perfectly paced teaching and the clever, engaging writing style as you dig into this awesome exploration of reinforcement learning fundamentals, effective deep learning techniques, and practical applications in this emerging field. Purchase of the print book includes a free eBook in PDF, Kindle, and ePub formats from Manning Publications. About the technology We learn by interacting with our environment, and the rewards or punishments we experience guide our future behavior. Deep reinforcement learning brings that same natural process to artificial intelligence, analyzing results to uncover the most efficient ways forward. DRL agents can improve marketing campaigns, predict stock performance, and beat grand masters in Go and chess. About the book Grokking Deep Reinforcement Learning uses engaging exercises to teach you how to build deep learning systems. This book combines annotated Python code with intuitive explanations to explore DRL techniques. You’ll see how algorithms function and learn to develop your own DRL agents using evaluative feedback. What's inside An introduction to reinforcement learning DRL agents with human-like behaviors Applying DRL to complex situations About the reader For developers with basic deep learning experience. About the author Miguel Morales works on reinforcement learning at Lockheed Martin and is an instructor for the Georgia Institute of Technology’s Reinforcement Learning and Decision Making course. Table of Contents 1 Introduction to deep reinforcement learning 2 Mathematical foundations of reinforcement learning 3 Balancing immediate and long-term goals 4 Balancing the gathering and use of information 5 Evaluating agents’ behaviors 6 Improving agents’ behaviors 7 Achieving goals more effectively and efficiently 8 Introduction to value-based deep reinforcement learning 9 More stable value-based methods 10 Sample-efficient value-based methods 11 Policy-gradient and actor-critic methods 12 Advanced actor-critic methods 13 Toward artificial general intelligence

Deep reinforcement learning (DRL) is the combination of reinforcement learning (RL) and deep learning. It has been able to solve a wide range of complex decision-making tasks that were previously out of reach for a machine, and famously contributed to the success of AlphaGo. Furthermore, it opens up numerous new applications in domains such as healthcare, robotics, smart grids and finance. Divided into three main parts, this book provides a comprehensive and self-contained introduction to DRL. The first part introduces the foundations of deep learning, reinforcement learning (RL) and widely used deep RL methods and discusses their implementation. The second part covers selected DRL research topics, which are useful for those wanting to specialize in DRL research. To help readers gain a deep understanding of DRL and quickly apply the techniques in practice, the third part presents mass applications, such as the intelligent transportation system and learning to run, with detailed explanations. The book is intended for computer science students, both undergraduate and postgraduate, who would like to learn DRL from scratch, practice its implementation, and explore the research topics. It also appeals to engineers and practitioners who do not have strong machine learning background, but want to quickly understand how DRL works and use the techniques in their applications.

Deep reinforcement learning has rapidly become one of the hottest research areas in the deep learning ecosystem. The fascination with reinforcement learning is related to the fact that, from all the deep learning modalities, is the one that resemble the most how humans learn. In the last few years, no company in the world has done more to advance the stage of deep reinforcement learning than Alphabet's subsidiary DeepMind. Since the launch of its famous AlphaGo agent, DeepMind has been at the forefront of reinforcement learning research. A few days ago, they published a new research that attempts to tackle one of the most challenging aspects of reinforcement learning solutions: multi-tasking. Since we are infants, multi-tasking becomes an intrinsic element of our cognition. The ability to performing and learning similar tasks concurrently is essential to the development of the human mind. From the neuroscientific standpoint, multi-tasking remains largely a mystery and that, not surprisingly, we have had a heck of hard time implementing artificial intelligence (AI) agents that can efficiently learn multiple domains without requiring a disproportional amount of resources. This challenge is even more evident in the case of deep reinforcement learning models that are based on trial and error exercises which can easily cross the boundaries of a single domain. Biologically speaking, you can argue that all learning is a multi-tasking exercise. This monograph introduces you with DeepMind learning.

"Foundations of Deep Learning" offers an erudite exploration into the dynamic landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning, authored by Tapomoy Adhikari, an autonomous researcher in the field of Computer Science and Engineering. This scholarly work provides a comprehensive resource suitable for individuals at various stages of expertise, ranging from neophytes to seasoned practitioners within the domain of neural networks. Commencing with an introductory exposition, the book elucidates fundamental principles integral to deep learning. Subsequently, it undertakes a rigorous examination of neural network architectures, elucidating their constituent elements, activation functions, and optimization methodologies. The discourse extends to encompass the intricate mechanisms of backpropagation, a cornerstone process in neural network training. Further chapters delve deeply into Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs), elucidating their pivotal roles across diverse applications such as computer vision and natural language processing. Noteworthy concepts explored include Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), Attention Mechanisms, and Transfer Learning, furnishing readers with a comprehensive toolkit to address real-world challenges. In light of burgeoning ethical concerns within the AI landscape, the book offers nuanced insights into ethical considerations pertinent to deep learning. Emphasis is placed on responsible AI model development and its societal implications. The discourse extends to encompass the domain of Natural Language Processing (NLP) integrated with deep learning, elucidating concepts such as word embeddings and sequence-to-sequence models, alongside the transformative potential of attention mechanisms. Deep Reinforcement Learning, a pivotal paradigm underpinning gaming AI and autonomous systems, undergoes meticulous scrutiny, equipping readers with the requisite knowledge to navigate this burgeoning field. As the narrative culminates, readers are prompted to contemplate the future trajectory of deep learning, exploring themes such as neuro-symbolic integration, the potential impact of quantum computing, and the ethical imperatives guiding AI development. "Foundations of Deep Learning" transcends mere instructional discourse, serving as a scholarly compendium elucidating the inner workings of AI architectures shaping contemporary society. Augmented with code snippets, diagrams, and illustrative case studies, this academic endeavor facilitates a practical and accessible understanding of complex concepts. Irrespective of readers' academic or professional affiliations, be it as students, researchers, or engineers, this scholarly treatise equips them with the requisite knowledge and methodologies to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of neural networks.