Human Brain Cells Learn to Play Doom in Cortical Labs Experiment
Cortical Labs, a startup in Melbourne, has trained clusters of living human neurons to play the 1993 video game Doom. Around 200,000 neurons were cultured on a multi-electrode array, allowing software to convert gameplay into electrical signals that stimulate the cells, which in turn control the game. The neurons learned to move, react, and shoot in the game through feedback-based rewards, with AI refining how information was sent and received. This expands on previous work where the same method allowed neurons to play Pong. While the neural clusters improved performance and adapted to inputs, they do not exhibit cognition, awareness, or pain. The project demonstrates neural adaptability and serves as a public example of integrating living brain cells with computing platforms, offering a new paradigm for interacting with biological systems beyond traditional programming.
