Lab-Grown Human Brain Cells Just Learned To Play DOOM
Who cares about running DOOM on a pregnancy test?
Like a rite of passage, nearly every type of device or platform is somehow made to run DOOM sooner or later. We've seen it on Word docs, PDFs, pregnancy tests, charging stations, Blender's Geometry Nodes, and even quantum computers.
Nothing is off-limits, apparently not even living brain cells. Cortical Labs, a tech startup that taught human brain cells in a petri dish to play Pong a few years ago, returned with an even crazier project. In a video that's blowing up everywhere in gaming circles, the company showcases "real neuron gameplay" of DOOM on CL-1, described as "the world's first code-deployable biological computer."
Cortical Labs
Cortical Labs
DOOM is far more complex than Pong: it's 3D, features enemies, and involves exploring its environment. Cortical Labs developed an interface that makes programming the CL-1 chip easier using Python. Independent developer Sean Cole then used Cortical Labs' cloud platform and Python to teach the neurons to play DOOM, and reportedly managed to do it in about a week.
"So can the cells learn to play Doom? Yes, they're receiving information, they're sending commands to move their character around, they're able to find enemies, and shoot. Is it an esports champion? Absolutely not. Right now, the cells play a lot like a beginner who's never seen a computer, and in all fairness, they haven't... But they show evidence they can seek out enemies, they can shoot, they can spin, and while they die a lot, they are learning", said Dr. Brett Kagan.
The demo looks wild, but it's not quite as straightforward as it seems. Kagan cautions that it's not useful to compare the chips with thousands of brain cells growing on them to human brains. "Yes, it's alive, and yes, it's biological, but really, what it is being used as is a material that can process information in very special ways that we can't recreate in silicon."
Still, this could pave the way for real-world uses. The API is open, the resources are all out there, and the developers are basically inviting anyone to tinker with human neurons.
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