Mario Lives!: A self-aware Mario AI that learns from your advice

Unlike the way gamers control characters, a team of scientists from the University of Tübingen’s Cognitive Modeling Group in Germany have created a self-aware Mario AI that responds and learns from people’s advice and apply them to the famous plumber’s environment in the classic Super Mario World and Super Mario All-Stars games.

The Mario Lives! AI project is one of many participating at an annual competition by the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI). By speaking to the Mario AI, the famous plumber can follow instructions and demonstrate feelings. A person can teach Mario to jump on a Goomba, ask him to grab coins, follow certain paths, etc.

The scientists are already working on adding Luigi so that both he and Mario could talk to each other and be able to respond. An AI character would be able to learn something new from the other AI and viceversa.

[Source]: The Verge: Scientists are teaching Super Mario to think and feel via University of Tübingen: Welcome to the Chair of Cognitive Modeling.