Google’s AI Had Trouble Playing Pokémon!

Intermediate | June 29, 2025

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When Games Get Stressful for AI

AI Under Pressure

Have you ever felt stressed playing a video game? Maybe when the final boss is hard, or you’re running out of time? Well, it turns out even a very smart computer program, like Google’s Gemini AI, can seem to feel something similar! Recent reports on the Google Gemini Pokémon panic highlighted the AI’s funny troubles while trying to play an old game called Pokémon Blue.

Recent news reports, citing a Google DeepMind report and articles from outlets like TechCrunch, shared that Gemini 2.5 Pro had some funny troubles while trying to play an old game called Pokémon Blue.

Live Twitch Showcase: Google Gemini Pokémon panic in Action

Independent engineers set up a Twitch stream where people could watch the AI play. But instead of smoothly becoming a Pokémon master, the AI sometimes acted strange, almost like it was panicking. This behavior happened when the game got difficult, especially when the AI’s Pokémon characters were weak or low on health. It’s interesting to see how even advanced AI can hit a wall when things don’t go exactly as planned. You could say it struggled to “handle the pressure.”

What “Panic” Means for AI Learning

Strange Decision-Making

What did this “panic” look like? The AI would make odd choices. For example, it might repeatedly try to heal its Pokémon even when it wasn’t necessary, or it would try to run away from battles over and over again.It wasn’t showing real feelings like a human, but its actions looked like someone making poor, rushed decisions because they were stressed.

Research Insights

This isn’t just a funny observation. Researchers are very interested in this.They are studying how AI models behave when they face unexpected or difficult situations in games. Playing games like Pokémon, which have many possible actions and unpredictable moments, is a good way to test the AI’s ability to reason and make good decisions under pressure.

Human vs. AI Comparison

Despite being a powerful AI model, it took Gemini a very long time to finish the game – hundreds of hours!This is much longer than a human child would typically take.This shows that while AI is getting better at many tasks, there’s still a big difference between how AI and humans think and adapt, especially when things get tough or confusing.

Vocabulary

Struggled (verb): Had difficulty doing something.
- Example: “The AI struggled to make good decisions in the game.”
Exhibited (verb): Showed or displayed a behavior or quality.
- Example: “Gemini exhibited unusual behavior under pressure.”
Behavior (noun): The way someone or something acts.
- Example: “The AI’s behavior was similar to human panic.”
Reasoning (noun): The process of thinking about something in a logical way.
- Example: “The AI’s reasoning abilities seemed to decrease.”
Pressure (noun): Difficult or stressful circumstances.
- Example: “The AI didn’t perform well under pressure.”
Repetitive (adjective): Happening many times in the same way.
- Example: “It made the same repetitive mistake over and over.”
Illogical (adjective): Not sensible or reasonable.
- Example: “Some of the AI’s actions were illogical.”
Mimic (verb): To imitate or copy someone or something.
- Example: “The AI’s actions mimic human responses to stress.”
Sophisticated (adjective): Complex or advanced.
- Example: “Gemini is a highly sophisticated AI model.”
Implications (noun): Possible results or effects of something.
- Example: “The AI’s struggles have implications for future AI development.”

Discussion Questions (About the Article)

What game was Google’s Gemini AI trying to play?
What unusual behavior did Gemini show while playing?
How did the AI’s actions under pressure compare to human behavior?
How long did it take the AI to finish the game compared to a human?
Who ran the project where Gemini played Pokémon?

Discussion Questions (About the Topic)

Why is testing AI with games like Pokémon useful for researchers?
Do you think AI will eventually be better than humans at all games?
What are some other situations where AI might struggle under “pressure”?
How important is it for AI to handle unexpected or stressful situations?
What are the ethical considerations of creating AI that mimics human behavior, even stress?

Related Idiom

Under pressure

Meaning: Facing difficult or stressful circumstances.
Example: The AI seemed to make mistakes “under pressure”.

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This article was inspired by: TechCrunch, June 19, 2025