DishBrain is a culture of at least 800,000 brain cells cultured in a lab. Surprisingly, these "mini-brains" can carry out goal-directed tasks by taking information from an external source, processing it, and responding to it in real-time.
In the experiment, DishBrain made from mouse embryonic brain cells and human stem cells were placed on top of an electrode array hooked up to Pong, an arcade game. Electrical pulses sent to the neurons indicated the position of the ball in the game. DishBrain received a strong and consistent feedback signal (a form of stimulus) when the paddle hit the ball and a short, random pulse when it missed. In turn, signals from the neurons directed the paddle up and down.
Apparent learning occurred within five minutes of real-time gameplay, which was not observed in control conditions. After playing Pong for 20 minutes, the cells were reorganizing, developing networks, and learning. The experiments demonstrate the importance of closed-loop structured feedback in eliciting learning. Synthetic biological intelligence shows self-organization in a goal-directed manner in response to sparse sensory information about the consequences of actions.
The research, "In vitro neurons learn and exhibit sentience when embodied in a simulated game-world,"
was published in Neuron.
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Copyright © 2022 by Eva Deli
