Different Intrinsic Drives, Similar Skills

Different intrinsic drives can lead agents to learn similar skills without rewards specified for each skill. We develop HoDA (Homeostatically Driven Agent), a world-model-based agent, and compare the capabilities that agents develop with different intrinsic rewards in Crafter and two Atari games. We use achievement evaluation and behavioral statistics to examine which skills emerge across methods and how often they occur. In Crafter, intrinsic drives based on homeostasis, novelty, and predictability all support similar skills in physiological maintenance, tool use, and terrain modification. HoDA is competitive in survival and tool use and also explores broadly without novelty rewards. This study provides systematic behavioral evidence that different intrinsic drives can produce similar skills, offering a basis for understanding the relationships among intrinsic drives and further developing these shared capabilities.