200,000 Living Human Brain Cells Just Learned to Play Doom and This Is Just the Start of It

ZME Science ^ | 3/3/26 | Mihei Andre

[Callahan]

Researchers at Australian start-up Cortical Labs have taught human neurons grown on a chip to play the classic Doom game. In 2021, they had already used 800,000 neurons to play Pong. Now, with four times fewer brain cells, they can play a much more complicated game.

… The technology making this possible is the CL-1, a “biological computer” chip. The biological component of the CL-1 system consists of human neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). These cells, typically repurposed from adult skin or blood samples, are differentiated in a lab into functional cortical neurons. Once matured, approximately 200,000 of these living cells are integrated onto a high-density microelectrode array (HD-MEA), essentially creating a specialized silicon chip featuring thousands of interface points.

The CL-1 is the major innovation, because it acts as a bridge that connects the brain cells to the world. But the magic is done by the neurons themselves. Through a process known as synaptic plasticity, the neurons physically restructure their connections over time to minimize “random” or chaotic feedback, effectively hard-wiring a logic path that corresponds to the game’s objectives.

… Silicon-based AI, like the stuff that powers ChatGPT or self-driving cars, requires massive “training sets.” You have to show a computer a million pictures of a cat before it knows what a cat is. These neurons, however, show “adaptive real-time goal-directed learning.” They figure things out on the fly. And they don’t need a million “games”; they just need a few hours of feeling the “vibe” of the corridors.

…

[Ancesthntr]

Obviously male brain cells.

[ro_dreaming]

Now, with four times fewer brain cells,

What an awkward way to say with 1/4, or 25% of the previous brain cells...

I’m also NOT a fan of putting HUMAN brain cells on/in anything that isn’t a HUMAN body. That’s playing God, and God will not be mocked.