用预训练模型提升强化学习探索效率,显著加快学习速度。
Fostering Intrinsic Motivation in Reinforcement Learning with Pretrained Foundation Models

- 用预训练模型提供语义嵌入,驱动智能体更高效探索
- 使用完整状态信息使样本效率大幅提升,学习更快达到最优策略
- 结合情景新颖性机制,适合稀疏奖励环境中的强化学习研究
探索仍是强化学习中的重大挑战,尤其在外部奖励稀疏或不存在的环境中。近年来,如CLIP等基础模型的兴起,为利用蕴含广泛可复用知识的预训练语义嵌入提供了可能。本文探讨这些基础模型不仅可用于驱动探索,还分析了情景新颖性项在提升探索有效性中的关键作用。我们还研究了向内在模块提供完整状态信息(而非仅部分观测)是否能改善探索效果,尽管在大状态空间中处理微小变化存在困难。在MiniGrid环境中的实验表明,内在模块能有效利用完整状态信息,显著提升样本效率并学习到最优策略。此外,我们发现基础模型提供的嵌入有时甚至优于训练过程中智能体自身构建的嵌入,特别是在结合情景新颖性项时,进一步加速学习过程。
原文摘要 · Abstract (English)
Exploration remains a significant challenge in reinforcement learning, especially in environments where extrinsic rewards are sparse or non-existent. The recent rise of foundation models, such as CLIP, offers an opportunity to leverage pretrained, semantically rich embeddings that encapsulate broad and reusable knowledge. In this work we explore the potential of these foundation models not just to drive exploration, but also to analyze the critical role of the episodic novelty term in enhancing exploration effectiveness of the agent. We also investigate whether providing the intrinsic module with complete state information -- rather than just partial observations -- can improve exploration, despite the difficulties in handling small variations within large state spaces. Our experiments in the MiniGrid domain reveal that intrinsic modules can effectively utilize full state information, significantly increasing sample efficiency while learning an optimal policy. Moreover, we show that the embeddings provided by foundation models are sometimes even better than those constructed by the agent during training, further accelerating the learning process, especially when coupled with the episodic novelty term to enhance exploration.
Thank you to arXiv for use of its open access interoperability. PaperDance 不是 arXiv 官方产品;中文卡片由大模型生成,请以原文为准。