Training action selection neural networks using auxiliary tasks of controlling observation embeddings

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for selecting actions to be performed by an agent interacting with an environment to accomplish a goal. In one aspect, a method comprises: obtaining an observation characterizing a state of the environment, processing the observation using an embedding model to generate a lower-dimensional embedding of the observation, determining an auxiliary task reward based on a value of a particular dimension of the embedding, determining an overall reward based at least in part on the auxiliary task reward, and determining an update to values of multiple parameters of an action selection neural network based on the overall reward using a reinforcement learning technique.