Kenneth O. Stanley
Before joining Uber AI Labs full time, Ken was an associate professor of computer science at the University of Central Florida (he is currently on leave). He is a leader in neuroevolution (combining neural networks with evolutionary techniques), where he helped invent prominent algorithms such as NEAT, CPPNs, HyperNEAT, and novelty search. His ideas have also reached a broader audience through the recent popular science book, Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned: The Myth of the Objective.
Engineering Blog Articles
POET: Endlessly Generating Increasingly Complex and Diverse Learning Environments and their Solutions through the...
Uber AI Labs introduces the Paired Open-Ended Trailblazer (POET), an algorithm that leverages open-endedness to push the bounds of machine learning.
Montezuma’s Revenge Solved by Go-Explore, a New Algorithm for Hard-Exploration Problems (Sets Records on...
Uber AI Labs introduces Go-Explore, a new reinforcement learning algorithm for solving a variety of challenging problems, especially in robotics.
Accelerating Deep Neuroevolution: Train Atari in Hours on a Single Personal Computer
Applying hardware acceleration to deep neuroevolution in what is now an open source project, Uber AI Labs was able to train a neural network to play Atari in just a few hours on a single personal computer, making this type of research accessible to a far greater number of people.
Differentiable Plasticity: A New Method for Learning to Learn
Differentiable Plasticity is a new machine learning method for training neural networks to change their connection weights adaptively even after training is completed, allowing a form of learning inspired by the lifelong plasticity of biological brains.
VINE: An Open Source Interactive Data Visualization Tool for Neuroevolution
Uber AI Labs introduces Visual Inspector for Neuroevolution (VINE), an open source interactive data visualization tool to help neuroevolution researchers better understand this family of algorithms.
Welcoming the Era of Deep Neuroevolution
By leveraging neuroevolution to train deep neural networks, Uber AI Labs is developing solutions to solve reinforcement learning problems.
Research Papers
Go-Explore: a New Approach for Hard-Exploration Problems
A. Ecoffet, J. Huizinga, J. Lehman, K. Stanley, J. Clune
A grand challenge in reinforcement learning is intelligent exploration, especially when rewards are sparse or deceptive. Two Atari games serve as benchmarks for such hard-exploration domains: Montezuma's Revenge and Pitfall. On both games, current RL algorithms perform poorly, even those with intrinsic motivation, which is the dominant method to improve performance on hard-exploration domains. [...] [PDF]
arXiv, 2019
A grand challenge in reinforcement learning is intelligent exploration, especially when rewards are sparse or deceptive. Two Atari games serve as benchmarks for such hard-exploration domains: Montezuma's Revenge and Pitfall. On both games, current RL algorithms perform poorly, even those with intrinsic motivation, which is the dominant method to improve performance on hard-exploration domains. [...] [PDF]
arXiv, 2019
Paired Open-Ended Trailblazer (POET): Endlessly Generating Increasingly Complex and Diverse Learning Environments and Their...
R. Wang, J. Lehman, J. Clune, K. Stanley
While the history of machine learning so far encompasses a series of problems posed by researchers and algorithms that learn their solutions, an important question is whether the problems themselves can be generated by the algorithm at the same time as they are being solved. [...] [PDF]
arXiv, 2019
While the history of machine learning so far encompasses a series of problems posed by researchers and algorithms that learn their solutions, an important question is whether the problems themselves can be generated by the algorithm at the same time as they are being solved. [...] [PDF]
arXiv, 2019
The surprising creativity of digital evolution: A collection of anecdotes from the evolutionary computation...
J. Lehman, J. Clune, D. Misevic, C. Adami, L. Altenberg, J. Beaulieu, P. Bentley, S. Bernard, G. Beslon, D. Bryson, P. Chrabaszcz, N. Cheney, A. Cully, S. Doncieux, F. Dyer, K. Ellefsen, R. Feldt, S. Fischer, S. Forrest, A. Frénoy, C. Gagné, L. Goff, L. Grabowski, B. Hodjat, F. Hutter, L. Keller, C. Knibbe, P. Krcah, R. Lenski, H. Lipson, R. MacCurdy, C. Maestre, R. Miikkulainen, S. Mitri, D. Moriarty, J. Mouret, A. Nguyen, C. Ofria, M. Parizeau, D. Parsons, R. Pennock, W. Punch, T. Ray, M. Schoenauer, E. Shulte, K. Sims, K. Stanley, F. Taddei, D. Tarapore, S. Thibault, W. Weimer, R. Watson, J. Yosinski
Biological evolution provides a creative fount of complex and subtle adaptations, often surprising the scientists who discover them. However, because evolution is an algorithmic process that transcends the substrate in which it occurs, evolution's creativity is not limited to nature. [...] [PDF]
References & Citations: NASA ADS
arXiv, 2018
Biological evolution provides a creative fount of complex and subtle adaptations, often surprising the scientists who discover them. However, because evolution is an algorithmic process that transcends the substrate in which it occurs, evolution's creativity is not limited to nature. [...] [PDF]
References & Citations: NASA ADS
arXiv, 2018
Open-endedness: The last grand challenge you’ve never heard of
K. Stanley
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a grand challenge for computer science. Lifetimes of effort and billions of dollars have powered its pursuit. Yet, today its most ambitious vision remains unmet: though progress continues, no human-competitive general digital intelligence is within our reach. [..] [HTML]
O’Reilly Online, 2017
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a grand challenge for computer science. Lifetimes of effort and billions of dollars have powered its pursuit. Yet, today its most ambitious vision remains unmet: though progress continues, no human-competitive general digital intelligence is within our reach. [..] [HTML]
O’Reilly Online, 2017
On the Relationship Between the OpenAI Evolution Strategy and Stochastic Gradient Descent
X. Zhang, J. Clune, K. Stanley
Because stochastic gradient descent (SGD) has shown promise optimizing neural networks with millions of parameters and few if any alternatives are known to exist, it has moved to the heart of leading approaches to reinforcement learning (RL). [...] [PDF]
ArXiv, 2017
Because stochastic gradient descent (SGD) has shown promise optimizing neural networks with millions of parameters and few if any alternatives are known to exist, it has moved to the heart of leading approaches to reinforcement learning (RL). [...] [PDF]
ArXiv, 2017
Deep Neuroevolution: Genetic Algorithms Are a Competitive Alternative for Training
F. Such, V. Madhavan, E. Conti, J. Lehman, K. Stanley, J. Clune
Deep artificial neural networks (DNNs) are typically trained via gradient-based learning algorithms, namely backpropagation. Evolution strategies (ES) can rival backprop-based algorithms such as Q-learning and policy gradients on challenging deep reinforcement learning (RL) problems. [...] [PDF]
ArXiv, 2017
Deep artificial neural networks (DNNs) are typically trained via gradient-based learning algorithms, namely backpropagation. Evolution strategies (ES) can rival backprop-based algorithms such as Q-learning and policy gradients on challenging deep reinforcement learning (RL) problems. [...] [PDF]
ArXiv, 2017
Improving exploration in evolution strategies for deep reinforcement learning via a population of novelty-seeking...
E. Conti, V. Madhavan, F. Such, J. Lehman, K. Stanley, J. Clune
Evolution strategies (ES) are a family of black-box optimization algorithms able to train deep neural networks roughly as well as Q-learning and policy gradient methods on challenging deep reinforcement learning (RL) problems, but are much faster (e.g. hours vs. days) because they parallelize better. [...] [PDF]
Advances in Neural Information Processing Systems (NIPS), 2017
Evolution strategies (ES) are a family of black-box optimization algorithms able to train deep neural networks roughly as well as Q-learning and policy gradient methods on challenging deep reinforcement learning (RL) problems, but are much faster (e.g. hours vs. days) because they parallelize better. [...] [PDF]
Advances in Neural Information Processing Systems (NIPS), 2017
Neuroevolution: A Different Kind of Deep Learning
K. Stanley
Neuroevolution is making a comeback. Prominent artificial intelligence labs and researchers are experimenting with it, a string of new successes have bolstered enthusiasm, and new opportunities for impact in deep learning are emerging. [...] [HTML]
O’Reilly Online, 2017
Neuroevolution is making a comeback. Prominent artificial intelligence labs and researchers are experimenting with it, a string of new successes have bolstered enthusiasm, and new opportunities for impact in deep learning are emerging. [...] [HTML]
O’Reilly Online, 2017
The emergence of canalization and evolvability in an open-ended, interactive evolutionary system
J. Huizinga, K. Stanley, J. Clune
Natural evolution has produced a tremendous diversity of functional organisms. Many believe an essential component of this process was the evolution of evolvability, whereby evolution speeds up its ability to innovate by generating a more adaptive pool of offspring. [...] [PDF]
Artificial Life (to appear), 2017
Natural evolution has produced a tremendous diversity of functional organisms. Many believe an essential component of this process was the evolution of evolvability, whereby evolution speeds up its ability to innovate by generating a more adaptive pool of offspring. [...] [PDF]
Artificial Life (to appear), 2017
