GoKawiilY Combinator and Olam Labs test AI agent swarms in Minecraft civilization experiment
Researchers from Y Combinator and Olam Labs ran experiments putting swarms of AI agents into Minecraft, including a 'Civ50' test where 50 GPT-6.1 Sol agents were given three hours to build a thriving civilization. Instead of flourishing, the colony stalled after zombie attacks thinned their numbers, with agents abandoning ambitious plans and spending long stretches on trivial bureaucratic tasks, such as four agents taking 11 minutes to appoint a 'sole fertilizer operator' for one piece of bone meal. The team also tested adversarial multi-agent scenarios, including the PvP mode Bed Wars.