HomeAnthropic used Pokémon to benchmark its newest AI model
In a surprising move, Anthropic decided to put its latest AI model, Claude 3.7 Sonnet, to the test with the classic Game Boy game, Pokémon Red. According to a blog post released on Monday, the company kitted out the model with the essentials: memory, the ability to read screen pixels, and the power to press buttons and move around the game screen. This setup allowed Claude 3.7 Sonnet to dive into the world of Pokémon and keep playing.
What sets Claude 3.7 Sonnet apart is its knack for "extended thinking." Similar to other models like OpenAI's o3-mini and DeepSeek's R1, it can tackle tough problems by cranking up the computing power and taking its sweet time to think things through.
This feature proved to be a game-changer in Pokémon Red. While the older Claude 3.0 Sonnet couldn't even make it out of the starting area in Pallet Town, Claude 3.7 Sonnet managed to take down three gym leaders and snag their badges.
Image Credits:Anthropic Now, Anthropic didn't spill the beans on exactly how much computing power was needed or how long it took for Claude 3.7 Sonnet to reach these milestones. They just mentioned that the model performed a whopping 35,000 actions to face off against the last gym leader, Surge.
Last week, a researcher tried out an early preview of Claude 3.7 Sonnet.
The results were striking. Within hours, Claude defeated Brock. Days later, it trounced Misty. Progress that older models had little hope of achieving.
Turns out extended thinking is super effective. pic.twitter.com/RspsLgj2Uf
— Anthropic (@AnthropicAI) February 25, 2025
It won't be long before some clever developer figures out the nitty-gritty details.
While Pokémon Red might seem like a bit of a fun test, games have actually been used for AI benchmarking for ages. Just in the last few months, we've seen a bunch of new apps and platforms pop up to test how well AI models can play everything from Street Fighter to Pictionary.
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Comments (19)
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![GaryWilson]()
와, AI로 포켓몬을 플레이하다니 너무 신기하다 🦄 어떤 기술로 게임을 클리어했는지 궁금해요. 아마도 화면 픽셀 인식과 결정 과정을 학습하는 방식이겠죠? 이렇게 발전하다 보면 AI가 슈퍼마리오도 깰 수 있을까?
![BillyAdams]()
Whoa, using Pokémon Red to test Claude 3.7? That's such a nostalgic flex! I wonder how it handled the Elite Four—bet it overanalyzed every move like a pro gamer. 😎
![FrankSanchez]()
Whoa, using Pokémon Red to test Claude 3.7? That's such a nostalgic flex! I wonder how it handles those tricky Gym battles—hope it didn't get stuck in Rock Tunnel! 😄
![PaulSanchez]()
Whoa, using Pokémon Red to test Claude 3.7? That’s such a nostalgic flex! Makes me wonder if AI could ever master my childhood Pikachu strats. 🕹️
![LawrenceLopez]()
Usar Pokémon Red para testar o Claude 3.7 Sonnet? Isso é loucura! É legal ver a IA enfrentando jogos clássicos, mas será que consegue vencer a Elite Four? As habilidades de memória e leitura de pixels da IA são impressionantes. Talvez na próxima tentem com o Pokémon Blue! 😂
![JeffreyRamirez]()
Using Pokémon Red to benchmark Claude 3.7 Sonnet? That's wild! It's cool to see AI tackling classic games, but I wonder if it can beat the Elite Four. The AI's memory and pixel reading skills are impressive, though. Maybe next time they'll try it on Pokémon Blue! 😂
In a surprising move, Anthropic decided to put its latest AI model, Claude 3.7 Sonnet, to the test with the classic Game Boy game, Pokémon Red. According to a blog post released on Monday, the company kitted out the model with the essentials: memory, the ability to read screen pixels, and the power to press buttons and move around the game screen. This setup allowed Claude 3.7 Sonnet to dive into the world of Pokémon and keep playing.
What sets Claude 3.7 Sonnet apart is its knack for "extended thinking." Similar to other models like OpenAI's o3-mini and DeepSeek's R1, it can tackle tough problems by cranking up the computing power and taking its sweet time to think things through.
This feature proved to be a game-changer in Pokémon Red. While the older Claude 3.0 Sonnet couldn't even make it out of the starting area in Pallet Town, Claude 3.7 Sonnet managed to take down three gym leaders and snag their badges.
Last week, a researcher tried out an early preview of Claude 3.7 Sonnet.
The results were striking. Within hours, Claude defeated Brock. Days later, it trounced Misty. Progress that older models had little hope of achieving.
Turns out extended thinking is super effective. pic.twitter.com/RspsLgj2Uf
— Anthropic (@AnthropicAI) February 25, 2025
It won't be long before some clever developer figures out the nitty-gritty details.
While Pokémon Red might seem like a bit of a fun test, games have actually been used for AI benchmarking for ages. Just in the last few months, we've seen a bunch of new apps and platforms pop up to test how well AI models can play everything from Street Fighter to Pictionary.
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와, AI로 포켓몬을 플레이하다니 너무 신기하다 🦄 어떤 기술로 게임을 클리어했는지 궁금해요. 아마도 화면 픽셀 인식과 결정 과정을 학습하는 방식이겠죠? 이렇게 발전하다 보면 AI가 슈퍼마리오도 깰 수 있을까?
Whoa, using Pokémon Red to test Claude 3.7? That's such a nostalgic flex! I wonder how it handled the Elite Four—bet it overanalyzed every move like a pro gamer. 😎
Whoa, using Pokémon Red to test Claude 3.7? That's such a nostalgic flex! I wonder how it handles those tricky Gym battles—hope it didn't get stuck in Rock Tunnel! 😄
Whoa, using Pokémon Red to test Claude 3.7? That’s such a nostalgic flex! Makes me wonder if AI could ever master my childhood Pikachu strats. 🕹️
Usar Pokémon Red para testar o Claude 3.7 Sonnet? Isso é loucura! É legal ver a IA enfrentando jogos clássicos, mas será que consegue vencer a Elite Four? As habilidades de memória e leitura de pixels da IA são impressionantes. Talvez na próxima tentem com o Pokémon Blue! 😂
Using Pokémon Red to benchmark Claude 3.7 Sonnet? That's wild! It's cool to see AI tackling classic games, but I wonder if it can beat the Elite Four. The AI's memory and pixel reading skills are impressive, though. Maybe next time they'll try it on Pokémon Blue! 😂
