Why Are Large Language Models So Terrible at Video Games?
Large language models (LLMs) have shown proficiency in coding simple games but face challenges when it comes to playing them. Researchers like Julian Togelius from NYU's Game Innovation Lab are investigating the limitations of LLMs in video game environments. The findings highlight a gap between coding capabilities and gameplay performance in AI models.
- ▪Large language models can code simple games but struggle to play them effectively.
- ▪Julian Togelius is researching the capabilities of LLMs in video games at NYU's Game Innovation Lab.
- ▪The research indicates a significant difference between the coding abilities and the gameplay performance of AI models.
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| Original publisher | IEEE Spectrum |
| Canonical URL | https://spectrum.ieee.org/ai-video-games-llms-togelius |
| Publication time | Mon, 01 Jun 2026 09:14:26 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-06-01T09:50:54.204Z |
| Last seen | 2026-06-01T09:50:54.204Z |
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AIInterview Why Are Large Language Models So Terrible at Video Games? AI models code simple games, but struggle to play themMatthew S. Smith29 Mar 20264 min readMatthew S. Smith is a contributing editor for IEEE Spectrum and the former lead reviews editor at Digital Trends.Julian Togelius is the director of NYU's Game Innovation Lab and researching LLMs' video game capabilities. Julian Togelius {"customDimensions": {"5":"Matthew S. Smith","11":2676614974,"7":"llms, artificial-intelligence, video-games","10":"llms","6":"artificial-intelligence","8":"03/29/2026"}, "post": {"id": 2676614974, "providerId": 0, "sections": [497728257, 497728259, 2267926519, 544169527, 544169516, 2289616916, 2289599765, 2289601209], "authors": [22900948], "tags": ["llms", "artificial-intelligence",…
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