Google’s advanced AI, Gemini 2.5 Pro, has conquered the classic 1996 GameBoy game Pokémon Blue, marking a significant achievement. In a celebratory post on X, Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced, “What a finish! Gemini 2.5 Pro just completed Pokémon Blue! Special thanks to @TheCodeOfJoel for creating and running the livestream, and to everyone who cheered Gem on along the way.”
The feat was showcased through the Gemini Plays Pokémon livestream, run by Joel Z, a 30-year-old software engineer not affiliated with Google. Google executives have been vocal supporters of the project, with Logan Kilpatrick, Google AI Studio’s product lead, noting last month that Gemini had secured its fifth gym badge, outpacing competing models.
The focus on Pokémon stems from a broader AI challenge. In February, Anthropic showcased its Claude AI’s progress in Pokémon Red, a sibling game to Pokémon Blue, emphasizing Claude’s ability to handle complex tasks through enhanced training. This inspired Joel Z’s Gemini project, though he cautions against direct comparisons, as Gemini and Claude rely on different tools and inputs.
To navigate the game, Gemini uses an “agent harness” that processes game screenshots with overlaid data, enabling the AI to make decisions and issue commands. Joel Z admitted to providing minor interventions to refine Gemini’s reasoning, such as clarifying a game mechanic involving a Rocket Grunt, but stressed these were not explicit hints or cheating.
“Gemini Plays Pokémon is a work in progress,” Joel Z explained, noting ongoing improvements to the system. Meanwhile, Anthropic’s Claude has yet to complete Pokémon Red, leaving Gemini’s success as a notable milestone in AI gaming prowess.