Archive — US — techcrunch
Google’s Gemini has beaten Pokémon Blue (with a little help)
Google's Gemini AI has completed Pokémon Blue, showcasing significant advancements in AI gaming capabilities. This achievement, non-officially supported by a developer named Joel Z, highlights the model's progress compared to Anthropic's Claude AI. However, both models require external support, raising questions about direct comparisons between them.
Key points
- 1. Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced Gemini 2.5 Pro's completion of Pokémon Blue.
- 2. Joel Z, an independent software engineer, created the Gemini Plays Pokémon livestream.
- 3. Gemini's victory follows Anthropic's Claude AI, which is still working on Pokémon Red.
- 4. Both AI models use agent harnesses for assistance, indicating that neither plays independently.
- 5. Joel Z emphasized that Gemini's achievement shouldn't be seen as a direct benchmark against other models.
Why it matters
- 1. AI gaming advancements reflect broader trends in AI development post-2025, including enhanced capabilities in creative and strategic tasks.
- 2. The competitive nature of AI models showcases the evolving landscape of AI research and commercial applications.
- 3. Prior successes of AI in games (such as DeepMind's AlphaGo) set precedents for measuring AI progress in complex tasks.
The completion of Pokémon Blue by Google's Gemini marks a significant milestone in AI development, demonstrating both the potential and limitations of current models, while highlighting a competitive landscape in AI gaming.