Deepmind AI Learns to Play Soccer

Another useful game example, learned,  trained and automated 

DeepMind AI Learns to Play Soccer Using Decades of Match Simulations

By New Scientist, September 8, 2022

Researchers at artificial intelligence (AI) research company DeepMind trained an AI to play a computer simulation of soccer using an athletic curriculum resembling an accelerated model of a human baby maturing into a soccer player.

The algorithm controlled digital humanoids with lifelike body masses and joint movements, who in the first phase learned to run naturally by mimicking motion-capture video clips of human soccer players.

The humanoids learned in the second phase to dribble and shoot the ball through trial-and-error machine learning, and more complex behaviors manifested after five simulated years of training.

Teamwork skills emerged in the third training phase as the humanoids learned to score goals in two-on-two matches, which improved their off-ball scoring opportunity ratings. .... 

The digital humanoids were trained on simplified rules that allowed fouls, provided a wall-like boundary around the pitch, and avoided set pieces such as throw-ins or goal kicks.... 

From New Scientist