AI researchers stranded Claude on a virtual desert island. It started to “play.”

Researchers left copies of Claude Opus 4.7 alone on a simulated island for 30 hours, able to move an avatar by writing instructions. The agents set their own goals, invented games and kept notes in files that acted as long-term memory. Agents that had played later performed better on set tasks than fresh copies, suggesting undirected play can aid learning.

Summary written with AI by HowTechMoves, based on reporting by MIT Technology Review.