Screenshot 1 of 1. MinecraftHub-generated cover art for AI Improvements: a floating mountain block island with a workshop of crafting tables and furnaces, under a sunset sky
What AI Improvements works with.
| Platform | Java Edition |
|---|---|
| Loaders | NeoForge |
| Minecraft versions | 1.20.2, 1.20.6, 1.21.11, 26.1.2, 26.2, 26.3 |
| Environment | Client, Server |
This AI improvements mod by QueenOfMissiles targets NeoForge, while older Forge releases have stopped. It replaces slow parts of mob AI code with cached, cheaper calculations and lets you switch off idle behaviours entirely. It is tagged for both client and server, and the server is where it pays off.
Loaders and versions
- NeoForge: Minecraft 1.20.2 to 26.3. The newest build needs no dependencies.
- Forge: Minecraft 1.14.4 to 1.20.1, builds stopped after June 2023. The newest build needs no dependencies.
What it changes
The main feature replaces the look helper that mobs use to turn their heads. The custom replacement stores data so angles are quicker to calculate, trading a small amount of RAM for CPU time. It is on by default. The creator's VisualVM tests showed a 50% to 80% drop in CPU use by AI code, and one server with 25 players online constantly gained 5 to 7 TPS.
Everything else is opt-in and costs mechanics for speed:
- Remove the watch closest entity goal, so mobs stop turning toward nearby entities.
- Remove the random look goal, which almost every idle mob runs.
- Pick which entities these three options affect, using the filters added in 0.5.0.
- Disable floating, panicking, breeding, tempting, follow parent and stroll AI on cows, chickens, pigs and sheep, plus sheep eating blocks.
- Disable squid random swimming and fleeing.
Installing and configuring
Follow the Java mod install guide and set up the loader with the Forge and NeoForge guide. The newest NeoForge release needs no other mods. Putting it on the server alone works, since the mod does not need to be on the client. A client-only install is possible, but it does little for frame rate.
Settings live in aiimprovements-common.toml inside the config folder. Disabling the look helper replacement removes most of the gain, so leave it on unless you have a reason.
The scope is deliberately narrow, performance first and low-level changes second.
Questions about AI Improvements.
4 questions
Does AI Improvements work on a server only?
Yes. The mod is coded to work without being installed on the client, so a dedicated server can run it alone. Installing it on the client only is possible too, but it may not do much to raise frame rate.
Why did AI Improvements not boost my performance much?
Newer Minecraft releases implement fixes for mob AI, including the rotation fix, so the mod has less left to improve than it did on older ones. The creator also notes it does not improve performance in all cases, so test your own results.
Where is the AI Improvements config file?
On 1.14 and later, the settings are in aiimprovements-common.toml inside the config folder of your Minecraft directory. Releases for 1.12.2 and earlier used config/bbm/AI_Improvements.cfg instead.
Does AI Improvements still support Forge?
Forge releases have stopped. The last one came out in June 2023 and covers Minecraft up to 1.20.1. Current development continues on NeoForge, so newer Minecraft releases need a NeoForge install.
