Australian biotech startup Cortical Labs says it has programmed living human brain cells to play the classic 1993 video game Doom.

 

 

Australian biotech startup Cortical Labs says it has programmed living human brain cells to play the classic 1993 video game Doom.

Researchers grew about 200,000 human neurons onto a microelectrode array to create a biological computing chip called the CL-1.

The system converts digital game data into electrical signals that the brain cells can understand, and then translates their activity back into game controls.

Using a new Python-based interface, independent developer Sean Cole trained the neurons to move through Doom’s 3D world in about a week. The cells were able to navigate, aim at enemies, and fire weapons in real time.

The performance wasn’t at human level, but it was better than random gameplay. According to Brett Kagan from Cortical Labs, the biological system learned faster than traditional silicon-based AI and could improve further with advanced algorithms.

While these chips don’t function like a human brain, the breakthrough is seen as a major step toward practical biological computers potentially for future uses like controlling robotic systems.