Quote of the Day
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.
But the wildest thing about it is probably the “Cortical Cloud,” an interface that allows developers to program the neurons using Python. Using this API, independent researcher Sean Cole was able to teach the cells to play Doom in about a week.
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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.
Mihai Andrei
March 2, 2026
200,000 living human brain cells just learned to play Doom and this is just the start of it
With only a two hundred thousand neurons Copilot says this is comparable to the CNS of:
A small crustacean (e.g., a copepod or amphipod) is the best biological analogue to a 200,000‑neuron system.
- More complex than worms
- Less complex than insects
- Within the right order of magnitude
- Capable of simple learning and coordinated movement
I could support a claim the ethical issues are nonexistent at this level. What about when it is comparable to a small mammal? Or a primate? A human? An order of magnitude larger than any mammal?
What will be the capabilities of a Cortical Cloud requiring a warehouse the size of a city block?
We live in interesting times.
They already have CNS equivalent to the average judge.
When is one playing God? How much intelligence is required to have a soul? We’re not yet close to putting Spock’s brain in a box to manage our society but there may come a day in the not so distant future…. “Kendy for the state!”?
If they can “teach” them what to think and how to act?
Ya, this isn’t for fixing problems, as far as human needs go. This is for creating humanoid robots that do as their told. Always.
That might be something Gates/clown-world would love to have populating the planet.
But it truly shows Einstein’s theory that the only unlimited thing in the universe is human stupidity.
To me the real question is if they are just now getting around to telling us about it?
How long have they actually had it? And how advanced is it truly?
For all we know they could be beta-testing with sex-worker robots down at the local truck stop.
File this under “what could possibly go wrong?”
Is this the time to say “Do you want SkyNet? Because this is how you get SkyNet.”