Human Brain Cells Learn to Play Classic Game Doom

Scientists at Australian startup Cortical Labs have successfully trained a biological computer to play the 1993 shooter game Doom ^[1]. This system consists of approximately 200,000 lab-grown human brain cells, or neurons, integrated into a digital interface ^[2]. The research demonstrates that biological tissue can achieve goal-directed learning in a controlled environment ^[1][3]. The neurons interact with the game by receiving electrical feedback based on their performance ^[2]. When the cells successfully hit a target, they receive a structured signal, whereas failure results in random noise ^[3]. This "DishBrain" technology highlights the potential for biocomputation to eventually outperform traditional silicon-based chips in specific tasks ^[1]. Researchers aim to use these biological computers to study neurological disorders and drug responses ^[2]. While the technology is in its early stages, it marks a significant step in developing more efficient and adaptive computing systems ^[3].