A Microsoft researcher built a goat-powered LLM in Age of Empires II to prove it's not sentient
A Microsoft researcher is utilizing goats within Age of Empires II to challenge prevailing assumptions about the sentience of large language models.
Velocity
How fast coverage is spreading — measured hourly from article rate × source diversity. How this works →
The brief
A researcher associated with Microsoft has constructed a functional neural network using goats as building blocks inside the video game Age of Empires II. This project serves as a critique of the methodology used to attribute human-like characteristics or consciousness to artificial intelligence systems.
Coverage from outlets including PC Gamer, Gizmodo, The Decoder, Windows Central, Tom's Hardware, 404 Media, XDA, and quasa.io emphasizes that the demonstration is intended to highlight the absurdity of assuming LLMs behave like humans simply because they are trained on natural language. A joint paper with York University accompanying the project further examines how researchers attribute humanity to these models.
Future developments depend on the academic reception of the paper released by Microsoft and York University. It remains to be seen how the broader scientific community will respond to this critique of AI consciousness paradigms as defined by the researcher.
Synthesized by PULSE from the headlines below under a strict no-invention contract. ✓ fact-checked: all claims supported by sources Updated 106d ago.
Quick answers
What is the goal of the goat-powered project?
The project aims to demonstrate the absurdity of attributing consciousness to LLMs based solely on their ability to process natural language.
Which institutions are involved in this research?
The work involves a researcher from Microsoft in collaboration with York University.
How was the neural network built?
The researcher utilized goats within the game Age of Empires II to serve as the building blocks for the neural network structure.
Coverage (8)
- Microsoft and York University Paper Challenges How We Attribute "Humanity" to LLMs quasa.io · 107d ago
- Microsoft researcher builds goat-powered neural network in Age of Empires 2 to show why we should 'stop assuming that LLMs behave like humans just because they were trained with natural language' PC Gamer · 107d ago
- Frustrated Microsoft Researcher Uses Goats in 'Age of Empires II' to Demo the Absurdity of LLMs Gizmodo · 107d ago
- Microsoft researcher builds a working neural network out of goats in Age of Empires II to critique AI science The Decoder · 109d ago
- An Age of Empires II fan wrote a full essay on human attributes, and it’s a surprisingly thoughtful read Windows Central · 109d ago
- Age of Empires II’s goats used as AI building blocks to build a neural network — goaty experiment mocks the idea of chatbot consciousness, Microsoft AI researcher’s project makes an absurdist point about AI consciousness Tom's Hardware · 109d ago
- If AI Is Sentient Then So Is ‘Age of Empires II’ 404 Media · 109d ago
- A Microsoft researcher built a goat-powered LLM in Age of Empires II to prove it's not sentient XDA · 109d ago
Topics
Related trends
The Trump administration is suspending Microsoft from a green card program, alleging fraud
2 news sources are covering this Business story right now — PULSE is tracking how fast it spreads.
US freezes Microsoft, Adobe, Infosys green-card applications over alleged fraud
1 news sources are covering this Business story right now — PULSE is tracking how fast it spreads.
US suspends Microsoft, major IT firms from key green card program
2 news sources are covering this Business story right now — PULSE is tracking how fast it spreads.
Vance suspends Microsoft, others from foreign workers applying for green cards, accuses company of visa 'abuse
5 news sources are covering this Business story right now — PULSE is tracking how fast it spreads.
Trump's foreign worker crackdown comes for Microsoft, Adobe, IT firms
The Trump administration has suspended major tech firms, including Microsoft and Adobe, from applying for permanent residency for skilled foreign workers.
Google releases a new local-first Granola competitor
Google enters the local-first AI note-taking market with AI Edge Foresight, a Mac application capable of processing meeting notes entirely offline.