A New Report from Google DeepMind Leaves the Gaming Community in Shock: AI Gemini Took Over 800 Hours to Complete Pokémon Blue – A Classic Game for Kids Released in the Late 1990s.
Interestingly, during gameplay, this AI consistently displayed erratic behavior, getting stuck and “panicking” in simple scenarios, raising concerns about its practical utility.
The Twitch channel Gemini_Plays_Pokemon, managed by developer Joel Zhang, has become a focal point as AI Gemini was allowed to control and complete the game Pokémon Blue – one of the oldest and most iconic versions of the Pokémon brand.
Choosing Squirtle as the starting Pokémon, the AI had two complete playthroughs. Instead of making an impression, Gemini instead showcased… a considerable amount of time spent on each turn on the Game Boy. In its initial gameplay session, the AI took a staggering 813 hours to defeat the Elite Four – more than 30 times the average time (around 26 hours) based on average data from other players. This lengthy time is not due to Gemini’s exploratory nature but rather because of frequent glitches, poor decision-making, and continuous fundamental errors.
According to the report from Google DeepMind, the AI repeatedly fell into a state described as ‘chaotic.’ When its Pokémon form weakened or ran out of health points, Gemini began to make bizarre decisions: abandoning its battle strategy, moving aimlessly without purpose, and even attempting to flee at times unnecessarily. Moreover, this AI also showed signs of mismanaging its resources, often searching for an item named Tea in the void, wasting valuable turns on meaningless actions.
After some adjustments were made, Gemini performed a second playthrough with significantly better results – yet still took a total of 406.5 hours to complete. Although it had improved dramatically, many still doubt whether this AI possesses the capability to execute more complex tasks in real-time, especially when faced with a game that requires an immersive experience like Pokémon, which only adds to its confusion.
