Researchers achieved a small sensation: An artificially created brain only needed 5 minutes to grasp the gameplay of the classic “Pong.” In the next step, alcohol comes into play.
Doctor Brett Kagan is the Chief Scientific Officer of the company Cortical Labs. Currently, Kagan and his team are experimenting with neuronal reactions in test tubes.
With recently published research findings, Cortical Labs has created a stir. They managed to create a kind of artificial brain in a petri dish, and it can play the classic Pong (via cell.com).
Now they want to go one step further and test the brain’s reactions under the influence of alcohol. MeinMMO presents the experiment to you and the meaning behind it.
Competition for AIs and neurological diseases
What kind of experiment is this? In an interview with the English BBC, Kagan explained his work for laypersons (via bbc.com). He even calls the artificial brain “sentient.” The BBC explains that colleagues here already disagree. But Kagan says:
We couldn’t find a better word to describe the device. […] It is capable of receiving information from an external source, processing it, and then responding in real-time.
The research team refers to the devices as “Mini-Brains.” They consist of a collection of around 800,000 stem cells, some of which come from mice and some from humans.
The experimental setup uses electrodes to “show” the Mini-Brain where the ball is located and how far the ball is from the paddle. The artificial brain sends back electrical impulses on its own to control the paddle.
The longer it played, the less energy the Mini-Brain generated. When it missed the ball, it was better able to adjust to unpredictable situations afterward. Both are signs that a learning process was taking place. Doctor Kagan explains that the Mini-Brain took five minutes to internalize the game system.
It may be a noob and often misses the ball. But the results achieved clearly argue against random hits.
What happens next? In the next step, they want to find out how similar the mini-brains are to the real brains of living beings. This step is essential to allow possible conclusions about the human brain.
And for this, they want to get a Mini-Brain high. It is supposed to play Pong while intoxicated, and if it behaves similarly to a human brain, it may be possible to recreate other scenarios in the future.
Doctor Kagan hopes that his team’s experiments will contribute to treating neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and better understanding the function of the human brain: “Unlocking the true function [of brain cells] opens up so many other research areas that can be thoroughly explored”.
Doctor Kagan states that they are working with bioethicists. Over time, the devices are becoming increasingly complex, and they want to exclude from the outset the possibility of creating a Mini-Brain with consciousness.
For Kagan, something great is emerging here: “We must see this new technology very similarly to the emerging computer industry. When the first transistors were rough prototypes, they were not very reliable – but after years of dedicated research, they led to great technological wonders around the world”.
The BBC then quotes a colleague of Kagan, who sees advantages of Mini-Brains over AI systems. Professor Karl Friston from University College London says: “The Mini-Brain has learned without being taught and is therefore more adaptable and flexible”.
Leave your opinion on the topic and send us a comment. If you prefer to read more about artificial intelligence, then check here: AI Midjourney fascinates the internet with pictures on command – is set to radically change how games are developed
