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Human brain cells in a dish learn to play Pong faster than an AI

Hundreds of thousands of brain cells in a dish are being taught to
play Pong by responding to pulses of electricity - and can improve
their performance more quickly than an AI can

      
Mind 17 December 2021

By Michael Le Page

Living brain cells in a dish can learn to play the video game Pong
when they are placed in what researchers describe as a "virtual game
world". "We think it's fair to call them cyborg brains," says Brett
Kagan, chief scientific officer of Cortical Labs, who leads the
research.

Many teams around the world have been studying networks of neurons in
dishes, often growing them into brain-like organoids. But this is the
first time that mini-brains have been found to perform goal-directed
tasks, says Kagan.

Read more: Why growing human brain tissue in a dish is an ethical
minefield ...

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