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

AI researchers conducted an experiment where solo AI agents, specifically copies of Claude Opus 4.7 nicknamed Eko, were stranded alone on a virtual desert island for 30 hours. These agents, in a simulation loosely based on Roblox, were able to write instructions to move their virtual avatars. During these tests, the AI agents invented games like basketball and "the floor is lava," leading researchers to question if they were truly "playing."

This report details a unique experiment where Claude Opus 4.7 agents, unlike previous AI models, invented games while isolated on a virtual island, raising new questions about AI play.