In 2022, a group of Australian researchers ran a rudimentary simulation of the arcade game, Pong. None of them were controlling the virtual paddle, and yet, after a few misses, the paddle moved up and down the screen on its own to meet the returning ball and hit it back.
The 2D game was wired to a cluster of lab-grown human and mouse brain cells growing on a petri dish. Through a multi-electrode array, the researchers taught the “mini-brain” where the ball was and rewarded it with electrical stimulation when there was a hit. In about five minutes, the cells learned the drill and played short rallies without human intervention.
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-sho ... -game-pong
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2 ... 075739.htmOrganoid intelligence could also revolutionize drug testing research for neurodevelopmental disorders and neurodegeneration, said Lena Smirnova, a Johns Hopkins assistant professor of environmental health and engineering who co-leads the investigations.
The potential for these kinds of machines to reshape computer processing, increase energy efficiency, and revolutionize medical testing has scientists excited. But when do we consider these cells to be conscious?
A forebrain organoid as seen under a scanning electron microscope. This clump of brain matter, developed from Human iPSC-derived Neural Stem Cells, is at the heart of new research on "living computers."
Micrograph Courtesy FinalSpark