Hacking out some basic POI-based AI pathfinding in GML (Game Maker Language). I've literally never studied or read up on AI before, this is just a stab in the dark that seems to work.

blugStep

var i = 0;
var i2 = 0;
var thingInterest = 0;
var thingsInserted = 0;
var collision;
var thing;
var things = ds_priority_create();
var rayCount = 360;
var distance = 0;
self.frame++;

for (i2 = 4; i2 >= 0; i2--) {
    thingsArray[i2] = 0;
}

if (self.focusedThing != noone) {
    distance = distance_to_point(self.focusedThing.x, self.focusedThing.y);
    var focusedThingInterest = self.focusedThing.novelty - self.focusedThing.focusedFor * self.focusedThing.rateOfDecay - distance;

    if (self.focusedThing.investigated && self.focusedThing.furtherInvestigation == 0) {
        focusedThingInterest = focusedThingInterest - 1000;
    }

    ds_priority_add(things, self.focusedThing, focusedThingInterest);
    instance_deactivate_object(self.focusedThing);
}

for (i = 0; i < rayCount; i++) {
    x2 = self.x + cos(i * 360 / rayCount) * self.viewDistance;
    y2 = self.y + sin(i * 360 / rayCount) * self.viewDistance;    
    i2 = 0;

    collision = collision_line(self.x, self.y, x2, y2, POIObj, false, false);

    while (collision && i2 < 5) {
        collision.inSight = true;
        distance = distance_to_point(collision.x, collision.y);
        thingInterest = collision.novelty - distance;
        if (collision.investigated) { thingInterest = thingInterest - 1000; }

        ds_priority_add(things, collision, thingInterest);
        thingsArray[i2] = collision;
        instance_deactivate_object(collision);
        thingsInserted++;

        if (thingsInserted >= self.maxThings) { break; }
        else {
            collision = collision_line(self.x, self.y, x2, y2, POIObj, false, false);
        }
        i2++;
    }
    
    for (i2 = 0; i2 < 5; i2++) {
        if (thingsArray[i2] != 0) {
            instance_activate_object(thingsArray[i2]);
            thingsArray[i2] = 0;
        }
    }

    if (thingsInserted >= self.maxThings) { break; }
}

instance_activate_object(self.focusedThing);

thing = ds_priority_find_max(things);

self.focusedThing = thing;
global.focusedThing = thing.id;
thing.inFocus = true;

if (thing == self.focusedThing) {
    thing.focusedFor++;
}
else { thing.focusedFor = 1; }

if (distance_to_point(thing.x, thing.y) > 8) {
    self.direction = point_direction(self.x, self.y, thing.x, thing.y);
    self.speed = 8;
}
else {
    self.speed = 0;
    thing.investigated = true;
}

ds_priority_destroy(things);

POI draw

if (self.inFocus) {
    // OMG SENPAI'S LOOKING RIGHT AT ME
    draw_sprite(focusedSprite, 0, round(self.x), round(self.y));
}
else if (self.investigated) {
    // SENPAI COME BACK PLZ
    draw_sprite(investigatedSprite, 0, round(self.x), round(self.y));
}
else if (self.inSight) {
    // Senpai noticed me!!!!111!11!1!!!1!1 !
    draw_sprite(seenSprite, 0, round(self.x), round(self.y));
}
else {
    // I hope senpai will notice me
    draw_sprite(unfocusedSprite, 0, round(self.x), round(self.y));
}