Tutorial: Evolutionary Computation in Games: Learning, Planning, and Designing

Julian Togelius (New York University, USA) and Jialin Liu (Southern University of Science and Technology, China), Abstract: This tutorial introduces several techniques and application areas for evolutionary computation in games, such as board games and video games. We will give a broad overview of the use cases and popular methods for evolutionary computation in games, and in particular cover the use of evolutionary computation for learning policies (evolutionary reinforcement learning using neuroevolution), planning (rolling horizon and online planning), and designing (particularly procedural content generation via evolutionary and machine learning methods). The basic principles will be explained and illustrated by examples from our own research as well as others' research.
The tutorial will be given in two parts (1.5 hours each, in total 3 hours duration). The first part will cover the computational intelligence for game-playing while the second part will cover the computational intelligence for game design, as detailed in the Outline. Questions are welcomed during and after the tutorials.